


My Devotion and Mah Protection

by ChloeClegane



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Background Conflicts, Dark Claudia, Dealing With Trauma, Discrimination, Engagement, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Light Dom/sub, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rayla & Soren Friendship (The Dragon Prince), Rayllum, Smut, Snark for days, Top Rayla, Unconditional Love, Wedding, Wedding Night, best buddy power hour, fluffy love, functional loving relationship, supportive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeClegane/pseuds/ChloeClegane
Summary: Rayla and Callum have been together for three years and are ready to have an adult life and marriage. The fight against Aaravos isn't over but they refuse to let prejudice or fear keep them from living their life together. Being the first Elf and Human marriage in over a thousand years was never going to be easy, but that's what love is for. Callum vowed to fortify her in adversity and Rayla to support him in his toils.  Devotion and Protection.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 157
Kudos: 297





	1. Taking Care of You is Part of Loving You

**Author's Note:**

> Some fluff and some fluff and a sprinkle of sexy.

Callum returned to their (his) room late and took his boots off. Having separate rooms in places like this was a silly facade. It would be unseemly for a Prince of Katolis to be sharing a bed with anyone prior to marriage. So, they played along lackadaisically and everyone knew to look the other way. No one was going to stop them being together after everything they’d been through, plus one offender was a trained assassin with disappearing powers. The sun was going down, Callum was starving and surprised Rayla wasn't waiting for him.

He kicked off his boots and walked to the mirror. He was unsurprised by what he saw, his fair skin was brown with dirt and mud. “Yup, this is what success looks like doesn’t it?” he spoke to the empty room, frustrated. “ _It’ll be fine they said, trust that the branch will catch you they said._ **ugh**!” He accentuated each mocking quote by pulling twigs out of his hair “ _15th times the charm, don’t give up._ Why do I need trees to catch me anyways? Don’t have to worry about falling when I can fly!”

“Oh no, that bad?”

“Rayla!” He nearly dropped the water jug he’s been using to fill the washbowl, you would think after all this time she would have a harder time sneaking up on him, but no. He sighed “I mean it went kind of… sort of… yeah it went bad”

“Well I found somethin' today and I think you should come see it, It’s a surprise” She smiled and moseyed up behind him.

“Rayla, do I look like I’m ready to go out anywhere? I’m dirty and hungry and… kind of grumpy” While he spoke she reached behind him, dipped one of the wash clothes and wiped a spot clean on his cheek then proceeded to kiss it.

He pouted “can we do it tomorrow? I need a bath”

“Well ye’re in luck, you won’t need a bath where we’re goin'” she walked away and grabbed a clean pair of shoes from his trunk.

“But where is it?”

“I told ye it’s a surprise”

“Bu-” her finger was on his lips as she handed him the shoes

“No buts, put these on”

“Hungry” he whined

“Good news”, she danced away when he tried to grab her waist. She picked up a large basket he hadn't noticed by the door. “Food! In the basket!”

“My clothes?”

“In the basket!” she said it in an identical tone.

“Can I grab my sketchbook?”

“ **In the basket!** ” She gave an exaggerated point. He laughed and let her drag him willingly

“I love you… but why am I’m going to change my clothes out in the woods?”

“Hush! We’re almost there” She squeezed his hand and continued to lead the way

“Rayla I spent all day in the woooods, can’t I at least have a hint? Or- ”

She stopped walking and he bumped into her. “Callum, this is the surprise!” she pushed away a branch and what Callum saw made his jaw drop. It was a hot spring, steam was rising from the warm water. It was surrounded by glowing purple and orange flowers, he’s seen them before but never this many lighting up a whole area. Here in the moonlight, it was beautiful. Even the rocks had veins of quartz that seemed to exude magical energy.

“Wow, Rayla, ok this was worth the dark walk in the woods.”

“See I told ya tae trust me” She gave his hand one more squeeze and started unpacking the basket. The picnic spread looked delicious. “Here’s yer clothin' and yer sketchbook as promised” He knelt down next to her and took them.

“Yeah I should never have doubted you” she mmhmmed in agreement, gratified. “Thank you” Callum felt the kindling in his chest catch fire. All he could do was smile and stare at her beautiful face.

“I found this hot spring earlier this mornin when I was doin some training. I ran miles today. Also I did the stretching and the lifts for mah arm“ Rayla spoke casually as she opened the waxed linen packages revealing the tasty contents. “Yesterday you were so worn out, I thought this would be a perfect place to bring you. Mind you I didn't know you’d be this stinky, if I did I woulda packed soap” She chuckled and looked up with a cheeky grin. She pulled out a bottle and two small ceramic cups “I brought a bit’a honey wine. We can toast tae mah excellent picnic packing skills or-“

“Rayla, you planned all of this for me?” He spoke softly and sincerely.

“Yeah o’course, I Iove you.” She quickly kissed him on the lips. ‘Here try this.” She excitedly shoved a cube of cheese in his mouth before he could speak again.

“OH that is good cheese.” It was nutty and creamy and Callum savored it.

“I know right!? She was clearly pleased with herself and giddy to show him what she’d packed. He found it a little cute when she used humanisms like _I know right!?_ without noticing.

“But seriously Rayla” he wanted to get back to the subject and reached out and cupped her cheek “Really, thank you”.

She leaned into his touch and sighed happily “Yer welcome. I know I’m the best most _**kind**_ , _**beautiful**_ and _**funny**_ girlfriend you could ever ask fer. Now eat! I bought these bacon-wrapped sun dates. Apparently this merchant imports them from Lux Aurea. Oh and these she pointed to another open package this is a smoked fish that tastes like berries. In’t that weird?”

She pushed that into his mouth too. Callum scrunched his face “Um… eh… that’s really... weird... it’s like my mouth and my tongue are confusing my brain”

Rayla popped a piece in her own mouth and cringed “that sounded good in theory when I bought it” She tried one more piece and then shook her head no. “ok yeah, no, it’s a weird texture thing” she stuck her tongue out and scraped it against her teeth before moving to the next item “This is better I actually sampled this one”.

They went on like that for the rest of the meal, giggling and feeding each other various foods imported from around Xadia. They each had a cup of wine and she teased him for the way his cheeks turned rosy.

“Ok stinky prince, let's get you cleaned up. Take yer clothes off”

Callum chuckled nervously. “Get naked here? In the woods? What if someone comes or a monster jumps out or-?”

“That’s what towels and mah blades are fer, _duh_ ,” She said it as the most obvious thing in the world and tossed both to the edge of the water. She stood up and pulled her shirt over her head without hesitation and tossed it aside “yer turn!” she wiggled her eyebrows.

Callum inhaled sharply when he saw her. The glow of the flowers caught her hair and silhouetted the shape of her small perky breast. He clumsily pulled his own shirt off. When the fabric was out of the way he looked back at her. She had moved onto the laces of her pants. Now her perfect lavender nipples had grown hard in the chilly night air. He felt his blood rush, first to his now scarlet cheeks, second was the throbbing between his legs.

She stepped out of her pants and was now stark naked in front of him. Her lithe frame was begging to be grabbed and her white curls were ready to be stroked. “Ok get those pants off or I’ll do it fer you” She chuckled.

He laughed nervously, feeling exposed. Part of him liked the idea of her doing it for him but he did as he was told “Oh um yeah let me just” he turned trying to position himself in a way that would somehow make his erection less obvious.

She teased him lewdly “Callum are you gett’in nervous because yer willy‘s hard?”

“What! No! I…” He protested a little too strongly. She raised her eyebrow at him and he relented “Yes...”.

She rolled her eyes “I’ve seen it plenty” she laughed. Oh, how he loved that laugh. “Now hurry up and get you and yer big’ol pecker into this pool” Then she jumped in and her head went below the surface, he immediately knew this wasn’t going to go well. He rushed to get his foot out of his pant leg and nearly fell over. As expected when she resurfaced she was waving her arms and spluttering “It’s deeper than it looks!” she floundered “CALLUM!” She coughed and bobbed “this was a mistake, I regret everythin'” she squealed “HELP”

“RAYLA, I got you!” freed from his pants he immediately jumped in after her.

After a lot more flailing, a little _not_ crying and Callum being accidentally elbowed in the nose he swam her over to a shallower side of the hot spring.

“You’re such a _brave warrior_ ” He was laughing at her “I think you’re swimming has really improved”

“Shut it, don’t patronize me or this time I’ll hit your face on purpose”

He raised his hands in surrender, “You’re such a bully”

“Aye but I’m _yur_ bully” She kissed him “I’m cleaning you off now, yer a bit ripe” She waded to the side and pulled herself out. She repositioned the picnic spread and her swords to the shallow end of the pool, she stopped and scowled at the deep end muttering an insult he didn’t catch. He loved her annoyed face, he found it cuter than he probably should.

His current view was exceptional. The erection that had melted away during the deep end incident was making its return. Callum can’t imagine wanting anyone else, she was it for him, brave, kind, heroic and that ass... He could look at her all day and never get bored.

“Alright, I got a washrag but as stated earlier no soap, makin' do.”

Callum tisk tisked “I guess that basket isn’t as infallible as you claimed” She rolled her eyes and _carefully_ lowered herself into the shallow end. Callum knew it will probably be years before she jumps into water like that again. She took the wet rag and started wiping his chest and shoulders.

“Rayla you don’t have to, I can clean myself off” He smiled and reached for the cloth but she pulled it away.

“I want tae do it,” She said it soft and sweetly and stopped to kiss the places she scrubbed. Now lean back, you can float” He complied and she starting washing his hair. Her nimble fingers massaged his scalp, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. The sensation of floating in the warm water and the way her hands felt on his body was phenomenal. Every piece of stress was evaporating, he couldn’t feel the bruises or sore muscles anymore. Then she was kissing him and like a damsel in a storybook, he opened his eyes serenely.

“Did ye like that?” she asked coyly.

“Mmmm hmmm” he pulled himself up and kissed her. “You knew exactly what I needed Rayla. You put together the perfect evening that I didn’t even know I wanted”

“Well I figured you would’a spent the whole evening moping in bed and nobody likes a mopey mage. It was mah duty to intervene”

He chuckled “your assumptions would be correct” another long sweet kiss. “I like this much better than sulking. Thank you Rayla, for taking care of me”

She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. She played with the hair at the nape of his neck while she spoke “I think take’en care of you is part of lovin' you.” She smiled and it was radiant, her eyes were bright in the moonlight and It melted Callum. “How are those bruis-?”

“Marry me” he didn’t know he was going to say it until the words had left his mouth. Both of them froze, she blinked one, two, three times.

“Yes” She said it with no hesitation or indecision and smiled sweetly, she cupped his face in her hands stroking his cheek with her thumb. He stood there frozen with his arms around her waist processing what just occurred, what he had just said.

Rayla’s smile grew increasingly nervous the longer he stood petrified “uuuuuh Callum?” Impulsivity seemed to be a trend, he grabbed her and crushed her lips with his. They stayed there kissing until they had to pull away for air.

He caught his breath and tried to clear the daze “Did I just… did we? A-are we engaged now?” Callum tried not to stutter.

“Um, I think so? Is this not how humans do it? One person asks, the other says yes? Am I missin' some weird human thing?” she asked it genuinely concerned.

He laughed and spun her around in the water. “Yes! No, that’s all fine, it’s perfect, **you’re perfect**. Wow I didn’t plan that at all.” He laughed “Rayla, I love you! **Oh, I need to get you a ring!** ” He was blathering.

“So we did miss a step then?” She chuckled presumably at the sheer joy and absurdity of what just happened. “You know I feel pretty lucky mahself... Whats the ring for?” She gave him a cheeky grin.

He hollered into the night, not caring who heard “YEAH! WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!”

She shushed him with kisses, giggling “What have I told you about being a loud mage.”

“It’s a lie, I’m loud and you’re gonna marry me anyways! Agh you’re so beautiful.” He gushed. “I love you!” She just giggled before pulling him in for a passionate kiss. She tipped the mood from jovial to seductive by wrapping her legs around his waist.

She smirked at what she felt “Oh hello! were you wantin' somethin'?”

“Um, hehe, I mean… I wasn't intending to but yes, always… _always yes_ … whenever you let me, _yes_ ”

“Yeah I know, I'm pretty irresistible aren’t I?” she chuckled and teased before enticing him in a husky voice “give it tae me you big dumb human” He immediately started kissing her, walking them over to the side of the pool, his hands started groping at her ass and her waist, her hands gripped at his back.

He broke their kiss “wait, did you want me to _give it to you,_ give it to you? In the woods?”

“YES!” she shook his shoulders “ _Take me now sweet prince!_ ”

Callum ran his hand up her thigh under the water and kissing her neck and muttering “You know you’re a gift to me right? Every time it’s an exciting surprise” He ground himself against her and she whined. He lifted her out of the water partially so he could take one of her firm nipples into his mouth swirling his tongue around it. “Playing with you never gets old”.

“Mmm You try’na drive me mad Callum?” She was practically purring as she rolled her head back.

“Maybe.” He ran two fingers along the outside of her folds. She moaned unabashedly and he smirked “All I know is I want to spend the rest of my life making you do that”

“Good thing I just agreed tae marry ya isn’t it” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, nibbling his lower lip and ground against him.

This time it was his turn to shudder “it’s a _veeerrrry_ good thing” He agreed muffled by her lips.

He reached between her legs and rubbed little circles around her clitoris before sliding one and then two fingers inside her. He’d learned her body over the last few years of doing _hand stuff_ , he knew exactly where to touch and what speed. Always able to find her little bundle of nerves. Despite the wild pace their kissing had escalated to, he tried his best to keep his touch smooth and light. Slowly increasing the depth of his penetration with each thrust of his fingers while trying to keep his thumb on her clitoris.

“Calluuuuum” she moaned and rolled her head back “hmmmmmmm I wantae feel you”. But his work has already paid off and she writhed, tensed up and then slumped forward. She kissed his shoulder lazily. Making her cum, especially so quickly always made him feel smug and proud.

When he was younger he once overheard Gren say, with a beat red face, “ _a gentleman always serves his lady first_ ” Callum had tried to uphold that standard of curtesy.

When she caught her breath she started kissing him again and that time she was the one who did the groping. With her narrow hand, she started working his erection. He massaged her ass and moaned. She spoke low “I want you inside me, Callum”. She didn’t need to ask twice. Together they lined him up and he pulled her down onto the length of him. He buried his face in her neck and nibbled. Starting to rock slowly he found her little nub again and rolled circled around it with a finger.

He focused more on her than on thrusting, she made up for if by grinding on him. Still sensitive from the first climax she started to fall apart again. She was scraping her nails across his back.

“Rayla, look at me” her violet eyes opened and she smiled the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. He took a moment to enjoy the way the moon seemed to make the violet glow. She struggled to maintain eye contact when she cried out and shuddered. He loved seeing her like this, feeling these sensations with her. Looking her in the eyes felt intimate, like in completed him.

The feeling of her contracting around him almost put him over the edge. This was the first time he’d tried something like this. To pleasure her while simultaneously being inside her, while propping them up in a hot spring. They’d only had sex less than a dozen times. He knew his longevity needed some work so he wanted to make the most out of it. It was exceptionally more difficult than he thought it would be but the reward was dazzling. Her nails dug into his shoulders and her back arched. She cried out again and then whimpered between gasps. Rolling through the waves.

Now it was his turn, he put his head down kissing her neck as he began thrusting into her with full force. The pleasure ramped up and she started to whisper “I love you” thrust “I love you” thrust “Callum” thrust “I love you-”. He barely had enough time to unsheathe himself before he came.

"Rayla I love yo-” he groaned. As his head spun he was too late to realize his knees buckled, he slipped into the water and took Rayla with him. He was smacked in the face as she tried to pull herself up, it didn’t feel entirely on accident.

“I coulda **drowned** “ She shrieked

He just laughed at her while the tingling sensations dissipated. “The water is barely three and a half feet”

“Still!” she was being dramatic “So this is the story we’re goin’ta tell our children someday? You ask me tae marry me you, make sweet love tae me and immediately try tae drown me!? And after I went through all this trouble settin' up this picnic fer you?”

She never fails to make him laugh “I think we leave out the making love part”.

“But I like that part” She smirked.

“It sounded like you did, didn’t it?” He was so smug. “But really I don’t think other people want to hear that part of the story”.

They toasted each other with another cup of wine, continued to flirt and relaxed in the pool awhile longer before dressing and making their way back. Partway Rayla asked a serious question “Callum?”

“hmm?” he hummed.

“Is it wrong fer us tae get married now? While Claudia… and them… while they’re out there and the war isn’t done.” She asked it tentatively.

Callum stopped walking and thought a moment. “No. No, I don’t. I think if we let them stop us, stop us from being happy and living our lives, it means they won in a way. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah” She agreed “I suppose that’s a good way to think of it”

Callum’s thoughts turned a little darker. “I also, I don’t want to risk any regrets, or missing out on anything with you. You never know what could happen”. The nightmares of her falling to her death had been usurped by their more recent encounter with Viren and company. His mind slipped back into the memory. Rayla’s arm twisted behind her back as Claudia used the withered octopus tentacle to hold her down and contort her limps. He’ll never forget the sounds, Raylas screams and the way the bone _**popped**_ as the shoulder left it’s socket. To make things worse the dark mage was so focused on torturing Rayla she didn’t see Callum’s blast of lightning coming. If Claudia hadn’t had a healing spell on hand the electricity probably would have killed her. Screams and the vision of black eyes with nothing but hatred and malice behind them have been burned into his psyche. He felt himself shiver as his fiance knocked him out of the sour haze.

“Callum, it’s ok” She moved in front of him and directed his face with her hands. “We don’ have tae think about that now. It’s fine, I’m fine. _Look!_ ” She rolled her shoulder, raised and wiggled her arm. “See, it’s ok” She hugged him and he relaxed into it, holding her close. “I agree, I don’t want tae miss out on anything.” She did the Rayla thing she does and lightening the mood by making him laugh. “What happened tae the hootin' mage blabbering about marrying the world’s most lovely and perfect assassin? Huh?”

He chuckled and tried to let the worry melt away. “I love you”

The rest of the walk back to the Earth Nexus he banished the nightmare and embraced that this was a dream he never wanted to wake up from. They held hands and all the sensations were perfect, his clean skin against clean clothes, the cool breeze on his damp hair and the post-coital glow. He had so much hope for their future together.


	2. THE KING COMMANDS A FAMILY HUG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum arrive in Katolis and bring good news with them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I broke this into two chapters, this one is a little short but hopefully, I can get 3 out quickly, which will be pretty long.

Rayla and Callum were already planning to leave for Katolis in a week to make it back in time for Ezran’s birthday. They decided to keep the engagement to themselves so that their families would hear it first. Rayla sent a letter to Ethari the same day they set out. She figured it’ll arrive before they make it to the human kingdoms but that shouldn’t matter too much. 

The trip back was exceptionally enjoyable, it was just the two of them riding through Xadia, it reminded him or the first time. The March days were growing warmer and they spent them enjoying the sun and making pit stops to goof off. But the nights were still cold, and body heat was  **clearly** the most  _ efficient _ way to keep the chill out of their tent. With no one around to stop them, their passions raged freely. Each night after making love they would lay naked in each other’s arms and talk about the future. Everything from the ideas for the wedding, what they want to do after all the battles and conflicts were over. Rayla wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit her life to the Dragon Guard and live the same life as her parents. Callum wanted children and Rayla wasn’t opposed, neither felt even remotely close to ready and that was ok. 

Callum relished every moment with Rayla on their trip, her jokes, and her laughter, the way she would turn round to look at him over her shoulder and smile. The feel of her skin under his fingers and the sound of her gasping his name… and the way her horns fit perfectly in his hands while her mouth set every nerve in his body on fire. 

For years now they’ve been traveling facing threats of war and attack, Aaravos and his minions are out there now and the world is holding its breath to see what happens next. There have been reports of mages going missing across Xadia but no encounters since their close call a few months ago. But somehow despite it all, this trip gave him a beautiful feeling of freedom. That the two of them could live in this bubble forever. Callum knew his head was in the clouds but luckily Rayla balanced him out as the pragmatist. So every night he casts an illusion and during the day he would mask their tracks with different spells. They were careful but still carefree. 

Kissing at sunset and pulling pranks on each other with fart flowers, they were two dorks in love.

  
  


Callum hadn’t thought ahead to the fact that their Shadowpaw mounts would draw attention as they rode into his home. When they arrived through the main gates of the city and traveled through town It was a mixed reception. Anytime elves came through human cities or vice versa it brought raised eyebrows and disapproving glances. It was at least an improvement from open hostility. As they rode, they turned heads. Some were surprised and in awe of the foreign creatures, some were happy to see their prince return and others were distrustful and judgmental. He didn’t care for the sneers and aggressive looks that were directed at Rayla. They made him angry but also defiant. 

Rayla’s body language was tense, her spine was straight and stiff and her hands clenched the reins so her knuckles were starting to turn white. He rode a little closer and reached for her hand. She flinched and hesitated to take it. 

Callum leaned in to speak to her “Rayla, it’s ok. Take my hand, I want people to see us, I’ll not going to be ashamed.” Rayla smiled nervously. “I love you.”

“I love you too Callum.” She still signed.

“It may not feel like it but you  **are** welcome here.” He kissed her hand.

She looked up at the castle’s tall towers sadly “It… I guess… Coming here always brings up the guilt.” 

“I know. But the past is the past.” 

“And the future is what we make it.” Rayla finished the mantra statement with attempted confidence. 

“See! You got this Rayla,  **we** got this” Callum would always be her cheerleader. He knew being here was a source of remorse, the first time she came to this castle was on a mission to kill. She remembers a version of herself who was reckless, angry and didn’t value her own life. The woman she’d become didn’t deserve to feel this way, Callum was certain of that. She squeezed his hand and released it with a smile. She kept her chin up the rest of the ride. He knew she was trying to  _ fake it’til you make it _ . 

When they reached the main courtyard they were greeted by a few guards and a very confused stable boy. He took the reigns of the shadowpaws cautiously, holding them a little away from himself. Callum noticed his unease, “Don’t worry they’re friendly, see.” He gave them scritches behind their ears and they nuzzled him in return. The stable boy still looked apprehensive. 

“Wha-What do I feed them?” He asked timidly. 

“Oh, yeah. Give them oats and birdseed, there some be some in the saddlebags. Fish is great too. They do not like hay. This one is Bubby and that one’s ChiChi.” 

Bubby nuzzled the stable boy and he jumped. When it was clear the creature wouldn’t eat him he quickly warmed up to them. 

“I’ll take good care of them your highness” He gave a small bow to both him and Rayla and left after Callum thanked him. 

Rayla smiled at Callum. “Maybe yer right, looks like things from Xadian aren’t so scary once you get’tae know them” He squeezed her hand. 

“Exactly, humans and elves are warming up to each other. I think in time, it’s only going to get better. Both sides just need to realize, they aren’t so different” She kissed him and gave him the  _ I’m proud of my big’ol goofy human _ smile. 

“And you think we’re going to show people?” she said with teasing skepticism. 

“I do!” He pulled her close by the waist and kissed her on her beautiful perfect lips. “We’ve already started to change the world, I think we can keep it up. Now come on, let’s go find my brother”. 

  
  


Ezran was in the middle of holding court when they arrived. The guard insisted they be formally announced as they entered. “Your Majesty, his Highness Prince Callum has arrived, accompanied by Rayla of Silvergrove.” 

“CALLUM! RAYLA!” Ezran jumped from the throne and ran past the startled crow lord. He nearly knocked the couple over with the force of his hug. “I’m so glad you’re here! This is already an amazing birthday, I missed you both so much!” 

Rayla chuckled “We’ve missed you too Ez!” 

Callum put his hands on his hips “Uhhhh, How was I going to miss your birthday? My little brother is a teenager! How wacky is that?” Callum gave him another hug. Ezran had grown a few more inches since ley last saw him. Long past were the days of Callum crouching to embrace him. Callum had a feeling he was going to be tall like their dad.

Janai had been sitting in a seat of honor beside the dais of Ezran’s throne. As visiting royalty she was allowed to formally sit in on his courts. Her and Aunt Amaya joined to give the travelers a hug. Opeli also chimed in with how good it is to see both of them. 

“Opeli, Crow Lord, I think we can be done for the day.” His little brother gave the orders in a very kingly voice but immediately switched back to his regular goofy self. 

“As you wish my king.” The Crow Lord bowed and left with his cart, Opeli began rolling up a few scrolls and placing them in a box. 

Ezran was beaming and rambled on with questions “Rayla how’s your shoulder? Did you have a nice ride here? Did you get me a cool birthday present? What’s the earth nexus like? How’s the earth primal magic? Callum are you good at it?” 

Rayla laughed “Ez slow down, I’m doin’ fine, the trip was...” she smirked a little “pleasurable. Even under torture, I wouldn’t tell you a thing about any present.” 

Callum tried to take over “It’s really green and muddy. I’m do-” 

Rayla cut him off “He’s havin’ a bit’o trouble and falls on his arse quite a bit” 

His brother found that hysterical and he felt the need to defend himself “Hey! I’m getting better especially since we-” 

“Had a very nice swim” Rayla caught him from slipping the secret. As with a lot of his magic, love seemed to strengthen him. He wasn’t sure why but after they got engaged some of the spells started to feel a bit easier.

Ez looked confused “Why did swimming help you with earth magic? Also, Rayla you hate water.” Amaya seconded that question. They both wore confused smiles. 

Callum noticed Rayla was trying not to blush, which made him happy. “We… well… it was such good quality time. Right Rayla?”

“ _ Yeah _ ” She grinned still trying to be nonchalant “it was just the perfect evenin’.” Earlier they talked about telling everyone at dinner. But the way Rayla smiled at him made him giddy. 

“Love goes a long way.” He sighed when he looked at her, like the lovesick fool he is. 

“Uuuhh, guys? You’re doing that weird thing where you look at each other and talk without talking.” Ezran had raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the two of them “What’s up?” 

Exactly as Ezran described, they asked one other for permission, both bubbling with delight they nodded.  **“WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!”** They shouted it in unison. 

Ezran’s jaw hit the floor. “ WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?” 

Amaya and Opeli shared a look of shock and concern. 

“We love each other” Callum started before trading off finishing each other’s sentences. 

“and we know we never want tae be apart” 

“so logically. It’s time that we”

“get married!” They both finished with bursting enthusiasm. Callum wrapped his arm around her and she pulled herself closer. “We couldn’t be happier if we tried!” he tilted his head to rest on hers. 

Callum was surprised and proud at just how well synchronized that was. It just confirms his convictions about how perfect they are together. 

Amaya was uneasy but Opeli spoke first. “You’re both very young are you sure about this?” 

The couple had expected this question “Hey I’ve studied Katolian history, plenty of royalty has married younger than us. I’ll be 18, and Rayla 19 in just a few months” 

“Prince Callum keep in mind those were political marriages, maybe you should-” 

“Well, this is too, right? In a way”. 

“We love each other” Rayla insisted. “There’s no questionin’ it. We want our relationship tae be seen for what it is. Lovin and true, taken seriously No more slinkin’ about”

Callum’s mind went to what they do when they’re slinking. “You wouldn’t have to worry about a licentious prince getting caught if it’s with his wife.” Callum snickered for a moment before realizing what he had just said.  _ Licentious Prince _ was a name Rayla teased him with privately. His aunt glared at him with narrowed eyes. He frantically tried to back peddle. “Uh-I mean-it-I-if I was hehe, you know hypothetically” Rayla’s red face was in her hands. “I would never-Uh-but Rayla is so beautiful and uh-um-so as my wife… we would-” 

Rayla shoved her hand over his mouth and groaned “You all know Callum and I aren’t stayin’ apart, so tae speak. It’s silly for us tae pretend we aren’t.” He was eternally grateful she was willing to clear up his messes. He could only imagine how often she’ll be forced to do it the rest of their lives. She’s his angel. 

Opeli spoke up once more. “Just to be clear, and know I ask this as gently as possible. Is there anything we should know, any reason we should expedite things?”

”Like what?” Callum had no idea what she meant and Rayla looked confused.

“Anything that could cause scandal? At this point Callum it’s better if you just tell us now.”

“Tell you what?” He cocked his head to the side.

She looked exasperated and turned to Rayla “are you in a delicate condition?”

Rayla made a face and looked offended “When have I ever been delicate? Have you met me?”

His aunt rolled her eyes and signed, “Are you pregnant?” 

Rayla didn’t need that translated. Both he and Rayla immediately went into separate rambling versions of “No”

Ezran just stood to the side cringing at the scene in front of him. “Uhhhhhhh anyways….” 

Callum and Rayla both tried to regain their composure and Opeli breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Aunt Amaya’s face softened, she approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder to get his undivided attention before she began signing. “You two are young and... passionate” She cringed slightly, “I know you’re in love and that’s very real, I respect that. But I worry-” 

“Aunt Amaya, this isn’t just about, wanting to do  **that...”** He side glanced at his brother. “Sandwich husband and wife thing.” 

“Caaaallllum!” Ezran groaned “we’ve discussed sandwiches, I know what you’re talking about.” Now his brother was the one to roll his eyes. “I’m a teenager in 5 days. You just talked about making babies, I’m not an idiot” Callum winced, and looked to Rayla for help. She had her face in her palm and was muttering obscenities under her breath. Their excited, joyful announcement has devolved into a wretched mess. 

Their Aunt put her hand up to silence everyone and began to sign. “Callum, please I want to say something important”. He sighed and gave his aunt his attention. “When we lost your mother, I made a promise to myself. You and your brother were her world, she loved you both so much. To honor my big sister I swore I would always protect you, not just your safety but your happiness too. I know that’s what she would have wanted.” Callum hadn’t expected this kind of heartfelt speech. He felt his eyes start to tear up. “So I have to ask you, Callum, is this what you want? I’ve never been married myself, I can’t give advice” She gave a quick side glance to Janai. “But I do know it’s a serious commitment. Vows should never be taken lightly and forever is a very long time. Are you certain that you both love each other, truly? And will this bring you happiness? Not just for today but for your whole life?” 

Callum quickly dabbed a tear before it could roll down his cheek, he looked to Rayla and smiled, she smiled back at him and her eyes offered all their support. He mustered his conviction and looked his aunt straight in the eyes “Yes, Rayla is the person I love. In my entire life, I’ve never met someone so kind, smart and brave. She makes me laugh and smile constantly. She makes me better, braver. We were brought together, maybe by destiny or fate or something to save Zym and end the war. We’re meant for each other. I want a future with her more than I’ve wanted anything. I would give up being a mage to be with her. I know we’re young but it doesn’t matter. I know Rayla is the person I want, forever.” He signed some of the words to emphasize them to her. When he finished his declaration he looked to Rayla and saw that her eyes were glassy but still bright and she was smiling only at him.

His aunt smiled, she walked forward and took Rayla’s hand and then Callum’s before bringing them together. Then she stepped back and signed “Then I give my blessing and I truly believe your mom would too.” 

Callum squeezed her hand and she leaned forward to give him a small soft kiss.

Rayla turned to the general and signed a little awkwardly “Thank you”. It was one of the basic signs he had taught her. 

Ezran spoke up, “You don’t even need to ask me for my blessing! This means Rayla will officially be my sister now and I’m all for that. She’s a part of our family!” 

Rayla chuckled and destroyed any evidence of her tears. “I feel the same way about you Ez.” 

“Good, because THE KING COMMANDS A FAMILY HUG!” every guard in the room felt the need to repeat him. 

Amaya didn’t hesitate to scoop up Callum, Rayla and Ezran, lifting them off the ground and crushing them, making git hard for them to laugh.

Opeli cleared her throat with a smile. “Your Majesty, if this is decided then I think we should discuss details. As your brother stated there are very good political reasons for this marriage, it unites both sides of a divide a millennium long. We have precedents for royal weddings, protocols for inviting dignitaries, there should always be a two week period to celebrate the announcement. I assume with ambassadors and nobility from Xadia we should anticipate at least 500 to 600 guests”.

Rayla started gaping like a fish and looked at Callum with wide eyes for help. Opeli continued “And then we have to discuss feas-” 

“Whoah Whoah!” Callum put his arms up in defense “Rayla and I already talked about it and we don’t want a big spectacle”. 

Rayla stepped forward and looked back and forth between Opeli and him. “We decided we want it tae be smaller, with only the people that count”

Opeli tried to interject but Callum continued their speel before she could. “and don’t worry, that includes some royalty and dignitaries so it’s still political or whatever.”

“Right!” Rayla agreed. “It’s our day, it’s about our love and our family so that’s what we want it tae be. You’re right, this is the first weddin’ between a Human and an Elf in basically forever, and we know how important that is but we don want tae be paraded and put on show”

“But-” Opeli started

“Ok” Ezran said plainly “You guys shouldn't have to be on public display for something like this” Opeli deflated. 

The couple both smile thankfully and gave Ezran a nod. 

“We want a traditional Moonshadow Elf ceremony,  _ wiiiith _ some human touches,” Talking through the plan like this was making him excited. 

“And” Rayla added, “we think it should be at the Moon Nexus, that way it’s ah place sacred tae mah people but still on Katolis soil” 

“It’s a win-win!” Callum wrapped his arm around her and they both raised their arms in a ta-dah style. They had rehearsed their pitch and it went rather well. 

Opeli looked impressed, “as long as the major royalty is invited then I suppose it  **is** a good compromise. We still need to publicly announce it here at the castle”

“Muh only request is that I hear back from Ethari first, I sent him a letter before we left. I just need tae know he’s heard it from me, not by random word of mouth.” Rayla looked a little insecure. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard from him yet… “ 

Callum squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “We will” 

The throne room doors burst open and they all turned to see Soren enter a little winded. “HEY GUYS! Rayla, Callum, I missed you two! I heard you got here so I ran the whole way, it was good cardio. Anyways sorry I’m late, I was for sure totally not doing anything related to surprises or birthdays. Yup! Just the regular kind of not doing anything suspicious to make me late.” He coughed awkwardly. “Did I miss anything?” 

Ezran jumped and threw up his arms. “CALLUM AND RAYLA ARE GETTING MARRIED!” 

“WHAAAAAAAT!? You guys!!! Best missed conversation ever!” Soren’s excitement was genuine and Callum truly appreciated it. It sometimes baffled him that his once tormenter had become such a steadfast friend. 

There was a discussion about announcements and a procession. Once Opeli was satisfied with the plan and had the need information to begin preparing Callum and Rayla were excused to go bathe and settle in before dinner. But before they left the throne room his aunt got his attention. “By the way, the _ licentious prince  _ thing? You come by it naturally, your mom was a fucking horndog.” 

Callum didn’t need to know that. “Please don’t”

“I’m telling you this because I’m a  **fun** aunt, you always want to know what she was like” She was not being fun, she was messing with him. Callum’s face went beet red as he translated for Rayla who immediately broke into cackling laughter. She continued “I remember this one time-” 

“NO!” Callum covered his eyes. “NO DETAILS. YOU’RE EVIL!”

Rayla was cackling “PLEASE, I wanna hear a good story, Callum don’ be rude” When he peeked through his fingers Amaya was hugging Rayla. “I’m going to my room!”. She was right, he always loved to hear stories about his mom but this was just… no.

He was glad to get ahead of her. If he cleans up quickly he’ll be able to sneak away for an errand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you liked it. I kind of struggled with finding the balance of jokes and sincere. I added the is this a shotgun wedding bit kind of last minute. Also, I hope the Sarai is a horndog thing wasn't forced, I just love the lady justice sex dream flashback. I really want to make Callum intensely devoted and constantly thirsty for his one and only.


	3. These Precious Family Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they've arrived it's time to spend a bit more time with family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much amazing support from you guys on the last chapter. It means the world to me and is so encouraging! Thank you, everyone, who's been reading. I'm going to try and keep up the good work.
> 
> *** EDIT This is for the next Chapter, 3 got too long and I split it and my sleep deprived for a brain scan brain forgot XD SO yeah you can look at it but it's not in this chapter lololololol***  
> This is my fashion illustration of Rayla's outfit in this chapter. (I'm not the best artist but I at least took fashion illustration in college)  
> https://chloe-clegane.tumblr.com/post/190658830054/raylas-outfit-for-the-upcoming-chapter-3-of-my

The morning after they arrived Rayla was woken up by a peppering of kisses on her face and neck. Callum was on his side beside her under the covers and his hand was grazing the hem of her night shift. Her clean nice smelling hadn’t been traveling for a week and a half nightshirt. 

“Goo’mornin’ to you too” She giggled. 

He mumbled good morning while kissing her neck. She stretched her arms and tried to shake off the remnants of sleep. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. 

“Campin’ was nice and all, but I like clean sheets.” She rubbed her arms and body against the bed to emphasize. 

“You know? I think I can agree with that” He kissed her again and then looked at her with what is arguably her favorite grin, wicked licentious prince grin (although she assumed that that name was unsalvagable after yesterday). She hummed her happy contented hum and bit her lip. That was the approval Callum had been waiting for and his hands pushed the fabric up and out of his way. He moved his peppery kisses down from her chest and past her stomach and they turned slow and purposeful the lower then got. She shifted her legs open for him and he repositioned himself. Then he stopped and looked at her with a smirk.  
“You know the sheets aren’t the only thing that’s fresh and clean”

“RUDE!” She moved to kick him but be grabbed her arse and she laughed. Then without warning, he licked her opening and she moaned louder than she would have preferred. She could feel the cocky grin from between her legs. He moved his tongue back and forth and up and down. She laced her fingers in his hair and settled into the very welcome wakeup call. She sighed and gasped every time he flicked that sweet little bundle of nerves. She felt her leg twitch and the tingling sensation built from her back. She did her best to control the volume of the “oooohhhhh” that left her lips. “Callum-OOHH!” after she came down from the high she tried to catch her breath. He kissed the inside of her thigh a few more times.

“Did you like that? I couldn’t really tell.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and had stupidest smug grin oh his face. _Stupidly cute._

“Oh shut up!” She slapped him playfully with a pillow. It quickly devolved into tickling, squealing, and giggling. They just ended up making out. 

He pulled away to look at her. “You know we slept in right? Half the day is already gone.”

“Seriously?” She looked out the window, the sun did in fact seem high in the sky 

“Let’s get up! I want to do something important today” He jumped out of bed and started pulling his clothes on while he spoke. “You stay here, freshen up, get dressed and I’ll go get us some breakfast-er lunch... Lunfast?” he looked thoughtful. 

“Mah people call it brunch... ya weird human”

“Oh… That sounds better than my version” 

She rolled her eyes “ok go get food, I’ll get ready.” She muttered about him being a goober as he left.

Rayla lounged in the bed for a few more minutes enjoying her post-orgasm gladness. She looked around the room in the light of day. She’d only been to Katolis two other times with Callum since the original _visit_. Both of those times she had been sneaking into his room to sleep at night and then returning to her own before a soul could see. They were always much more careful here and at the Silvergrove than they were anywhere else. So now she looked around the room and took it in. 

She got up, washed her face and changed her clothes. She looked around at the sketches, tracing her fingers over them, there were so many. It was interesting that during their infrequent and arguably short visits he hasn’t seemed to change anything. These 4 walls were a time capsuled of his life before… all of it changed. The desk was cleared off but things were sticking out of the drawers she opened one. It was more sketches. Some were funny little cartoons. One weird one looked like a marshmallow dessert man being burned, or she supposed, toasted alive by a Dragon. It made her smile because it was exactly the kooky humor she’d fallen in love with. She returned it and closed the drawer. 

She made her way over to the wardrobe, she’d seen this before, she put a few things in it last night. But she looked and pushed to the back at the clothes he’d grown out of. 

“Hey are you being creepy?” he was amused. 

“No! Just picturin’ yer life, before I met you.” She smiled, and she knew it must look sappy. 

He sat down the tray “Hey we both know my life was incomplete without you so whatever.” he smiled and directed her towards the food. “Eat!” 

She japed about not sharing because he’d already eaten breakfast. He told her that although she is delicious, she was also not very filling. 

  
  


They rode into the burial site of the kings and queens of Katolis. The clifts were adorned with giant statues of long-gone rulers. It was a little intimidating but also somehow peaceful. Rayla had been here one other time. Her first time to Katolis as an actual visitor. They had come for the winter holiday. Part of the festivities was paying respects to the late Queen Sarai, it was her birthday. They had come in the snow at sunset, they lit up her statue with candles. Her sons laid out jelly tarts as an offering, poppyseed and honey, her favorite. 

That was the first time they had to carry out this tradition without their father. It added an additional layer of hurt for Callum and a new kind of hurt for his brother. Candles were lit for both their parents now. They had stayed long after the courtiers and townsfolk had left. In the candlelight, Callum had introduced her to his mother. It was a sad, bittersweet moment. Rayla had wiped his tears and held not only Callum but Ezran too. Together, the three of them stayed wrapped in a blanket eating dessert while Callum told stories. Rayla knew Ezran had heard them before but it was the way the young boy learned to mourn the woman he never got to know. 

This time it was in the light of day and not flame. When they arrived at Queen Sarai’s statue they dismounted. Rayla stood looking up at the effigy, her hand outstretched, her face captured her compassion. Callum reached for Rayla’s hand and brought her out of her trance. She smiled sadly at him and they approached the statue and knelt before it. Quietly Callum removed two candles and some jelly tarts and laid them out. He used sun magic to light the candles with his fingers. Neither spoke for a few moments, she watched him intently. Finally, he took her hand and looked up at his mother. 

“Hi, mom… I miss you, I think at this point you know I always do.” He paused and took a deep breath to keep himself steady. “You remember Rayla of course... from your birthday from a few years ago. Well… we have big news.” He looked at Rayla with a smile full of sorrow, she squeezed his hand. “We’re getting married mom. And I’m so happy, I want you to know that” Callum’s tears rolled down his cheeks but he kept his breath and voice controlled. It occurred to her that her own tears had begun to flow. “Mom, I think you would love her. She’s brave and kind, sorta like you. She loves me and looks out for me.” This time his voice was starting to break. She loved him so much and seeing him like this never failed to break her heart “Dad used to say that you made him better. She does the for me…” she rubbed his back while he wiped his tears. “I love you mom, I hope you like the jelly tarts” He finished his speech and let the flood gates open. Rayla held him while he cried, kissed his forehead as the swayed with the breeze. He eventually looked up at her and smiled. 

“I love you Rayla” 

“I love you too Callum” After that, they stayed for a while. She spoke a few words, at first it felt awkward to speak these kinds of things aloud, but she knew it meant the world to the person she loved. She looked at that kind face and asked for approval and promised to keep her son happy and to love him always. The expression on the statue was so soft and it was easy to imagine she was starring right back at her. Eventually, the tears dried and they headed back to the castle. 

  
  


As they rode Rayla thought about her own parents. Trapped in some dark magic prison. Who knows if they were awake and aware or suspended in a silent coma… She hoped it was the latter. When Callum had watched the memory of her patents battle with Viren he saw the coins but really they knew nothing about them. Rayla had sat Ethari down and discussed it after the battle at the storm spire. It gave him faint hope, Runnan’s flower had never touched the bottom of the pool so he was convinced that Tiadrin and Lain were not the only ones trapped. The magic flower also had a soft glow, thus the dormant and not dead theory. Rayla had always felt hope was a double-edged sword, it brings comfort and reassurance but it also risked greater devastation and disappointment. So she did what she always does, shove it to the back of her mind and stop thinking about it. 

By the time they made it back into the town Callum had broken the silence and returned to his usual goofy self. 

“Hey Rayla,” he was grinning eagerly. “knock knock.” 

“Nooooooooooo, I haaaaate these” she whined and tossed her head back. 

“This one’s good I promise, c’mom” he pleaded.

She grumbled, “Who’s there?”. 

“Banther” He was holding in a laugh like if you poked him too hard it would pop out. 

“Banther who?” It came out as a sigh. 

“Your banth-er falling down” He was cackling. She didn’t get the joke and just looked at him with a blank face. “Haha you know? Because Banther sounds like Pants-are” He was clearly pleased with himself. Laughing uncontrollably 

“Uuuuugggggggghhhhhhh Callum, that’s the worst one!” She had her face in her palm “It’s so bad!”

He composed himself and smirked. “You just don’t understand my refined sense of humor,”.

She feigned surprise “Oh! Is that it then?”.

Suddenly a rock hit the ground forcefully in front of them, Rayla’s shadowpaw spooked but she tightened the reigns and looked where it had come from. A man stood in a doorway, scowling. 

“Go back to Xadia you grubby **monster**!” Then he slammed the door. 

Callum’s hand shot up to draw a rune but she grabbed his wrist. “It’s not worth it, let’s just hurry up.” 

“Rayla that was a **fucking rock!** ” He growled 

“He threw it at the ground, not at me.” She tried to say it calmly but she knew her anxiety was slipping through. 

“But-” he argued.

“I want tae go back, let’s go back... please” she was pleading with her eyes and her words. 

He scowled and they picked up their pace. 

When the arrived back at the castle he mumbled he was going to train. Rayla knew that just translated to _I’m going to throw lightning at things until I feel better_. It’s turned out to be a very emotional day… for both of them. The situation made her uncomfortable, she wanted to pull out her blades and teach him a lesson as much as Callum did. But it was just one angry old man. 

As per her usual strategy, she let her fiance vent his frustrations for a half hour or so. Then she went to him, they talked through a few big-big feelings and he agreed that the visit to his mom had affected his temper, it flared more than it should have. After all, it was just one angry old man. They’ve dealt with much worse, they’re’s nothing to worry about. 

  
  


After dinner, Ezran, Soren, Amaya, Janai, Callum, and Rayla were all spending time together in the royal family’s den. It was a cozy room with a large hearth. There were two couches near the fire with a small table between them, then there was a bigger table suitable for games with cushioned chairs. The room had a large bookshelf in one corner full of exciting novels, towards the bottom were children’s storybooks. Beside it was what looked like a toy chest and a bit cozy armchair, large enough for cuddling. Rayla imagined a very small Callum in the lap of an adoring woman, holding toys and listening to stories. She could picture that kind face that looked down at her today, looking down at a small boy with happy bright green eyes. That sweet little boy had become a wonderful man, now sitting in that same chair with his bare feet tucked under him, drawing in his sketchbook. She loved this man. 

She smiled at him and then pulled herself out of her reverie. Right now Rayla had more important things to worry about. **Beating Soren**! She called her numbers and rolled the dice. 

“HA!” She roared and pulled Soren’s loot towards her end of the table. Currently, it was a few coins, a candy bar, a leather bracelet, and a pretty rock. 

“AGH! NO!” He whined.

“You ready tae admit defeat human?!” She knew she was grinning her intense competitive grin. 

Soren was clearly working on some mental math. Based on how badly she was beating him, she could only imagine it wasn’t very good math. “Ok one more” He pulled a dagger from his boot and placed it on the table. It looked well made and had a mother of pearl inlay on the pommel. She’d gladly take this off her friend’s hands. 

He called and rolled, his numbers were good. Rayla took a moment to contemplate the dice she would select from the pile. When all of a sudden there was a guard at the door. 

“Excuse me, Your Majesty, there is a Moonshadow elf gentlemen here to see the Prince and his companion Rayla. Should I allow him in?” Rayla’s head whipped up, _what? who?_

Ezran looked up from the board game he’d been playing with Janai and Amaya “Yes of course. Bring him here” 

“Very good Your Majesty” he closed the door. Everyone’s attention was brought away from what they were doing. Rayla tried to bring her mind back to the game, she called her numbers, threw her dice and then the door opened. 

“YES I BEAT YOU! TAKE THAT RAYLA!” She barely heard Soren’s cries of victory or saw him pulling the pot across the table. 

“ETHARI!” She jumped to her feet and ran to him. He caught her and they embraced. “What are you doin’ here?!” 

“Rayla I got your letter and I left as soon as ah could. Ah had tae talk tae you in person” He held her shoulders and looked at her seriously. 

“Wait, **no**!” Callum tried to get up out of the chair but the foot he was sitting on had fallen asleep and he tumbled forward. “Ethati you can’t say no or stop us from-” 

“What are you talkin’ about?” Ethari looked confused and then laughed “I’m not here tae stop you both” He hugged her again. “Ah needed to tell you congratulations in person. Plus you said nothing of when the weddin’ would be, ah was afraid ah would miss it.” 

“Aghhhh that tingles” Callum muttered, wiggling his toes while he sat on the floor “So we have your blessing then?” 

“Callum you don’ need it.” He smiled sweetly “but yes. There is an energy that connects people, ah had that with Runnan and Rayla, your parents had it, ah see it in you two.” He had always been one to believe in greater forces in the world, trust instinct, and serendipity.

She held Ethari and tried not to cry. Oh, how she loathed crying in front of other people and it’s been happening far too often. She hadn’t anticipated him refusing but similar to Callum’s family, they expected some small amount of apprehension. She looked down at her Fiance _agh, I love him sooooo muuuuch._ Admittedly it was a very strang reaction to a grown man rolling around on the floor hissing and shaking his foot. He started pulling himself up and she grabbed him by his jacket and jerked him over into a hug with her Uncle. Rayla was so unbelievably happy it warmed her from the inside out. 

Ezran spoke up, kind as always. “Ethari, welcome to our home, it’s good to meet you again.” 

“Oh yes, and an impressive home it is” He bowed but Ezran urged him not to. “Ah thank you for receivin’ me like this, probably should have written ahead of time. Ah didn’t think about it until I had already left” he chuckled, made a face and knocked on his forehead. 

“We’re going to be family soon, you’ll always be welcome here” Ez smiled so genuinely. 

Rayla stood back a little and looked at her uncle, he was road-weary “You’ve been travelin’, you must be tired” Rayla started to fret. “Are you hungry?”

Ethari was never one to complain “Oh it’s alright, I just uh” Almost on cue his stomach rumbled and he shrugged. 

Ezran spoke to the guard “Would you please ask Barius to make a plate for Ethari and bring it here. Please also see to it that a room is ready and a bath prepared” 

Her uncle wiggled his eyebrows at Rayla and whispered “ah feel so fancy” 

“You’ll get used tae it” she winked. 

“Oh and bring some wine. I would like to toast our expanding family” Rayla tried not to laugh when Amaya mean mugged her nephew, when Ez saw it he recoiled “uh… and a cup of juice…” he looked deflated but Rayla winked at him. 

Now it was Amaya’s turn to stand, Janai translated for her (she’d become very good at sigh language in the last few years). “Please sit with us and feel welcome” She pulled the extra chair out and gestured for him to sit. He thanked her and accepted, she returned to her own seat beside him. “We’ve never been formally introduced. I am Callum and Ezran’s aunt General Amaya, this is my girlfriend Janai, Queen of Lux Aurea” 

Ethari’s eyes went wide and he scrambled to bow. Janai pinned his arm to the table and spoke for herself laughing. “No need to bow. If this was my royal court, or if I was my late sister it would be another story. I don’t need so much formality.” 

“Yeah this is called the family den for a reason” Ezran pointed out. “Bowing is **banned** in this room” 

“Oh, ah see, well I’ll be sure to respect the laws of the den.” her uncle smiled. 

Amaya pointed at Callum with her thumb “I’m surprised you want her to marry this weirdo, I love him but still” She smirked. Rayla knew the teasing was still retribution for the licentious prince thing. Callum cried out about her being mean to him. They all fell into a friendly conversation after that. 

Rayla came up behind Ethari, resting her chin on his head and wrapping her arms around his neck. She always forgets how much she missed him until they’re reunited. Her Uncle Ethari had a calming presence in her life. The person she would go to with her problems when her parents were gone. He would braid her hair and they would talk and talk. He placed his hand over hers and they swayed slightly. Without using words the two of them had a tender exchange. The distance was gone. 

Callum had put his sketchbook away and pulled his armchair closer to the table. It was their turn to have a silent exchange. He was happy her uncle was here and he loved seeing her happy like this. 

Soon a generous tray was brought for Ethari, it seems the cook wasn’t sure what to serve the elf and so he sent about four options. Along with the juice and wine, he also sent up a large batch of warm jelly tarts. Everyone ate and toasted the happy couple and they picked out another game that would accommodate the whole group.

Rayla finished her cup of wine and poured another _small_ cup. While the board game rules were being explained. Rayla quietly took Ezran’s cup and swapped it with her own. She put her finger to her lips and winked. They shared a grin. Callum shot her a look that said **_do not get my baby brother drunk!_ ** She went and sat in his lap and whispered in his ear. “You saw nothing.” she kissed his cheek “it was just a wee bit” Ez grinned at her as he tried to drink the alcohol without making a face. 

Callum pulled her close “You’re a bad influence” 

“Yeah but you like it” she teased.

“You got me there. Hey Rayla?

“Yeah?” 

“ **This** ” He motioned with a look **“** feels perfect” They shared a warm smile and a loving kiss before being harassed by the group. His Aunt instructed the “Get a room”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My love bug Soren and his bad gambling choices. <3  
> Also sexy morning Callum is sexy.  
> Also lots of family fluff.  
> I hope you guys enjoyed it! <3


	4. The Procession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's royal announcement day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! It's our sweet goofs's first love day as a canon couple and I am here to celebrate! (insert dancing dumbledor gif)
> 
> The fluff continues!!! I want to thank everyone who continues to read and comment. I can't say it enough, it brings me so much joy. <3
> 
> Also I updated the notes on the last chapter, I gave you guys that fashion illustration a week early! This was originally a part of chapter three but I split it up. My brain fogged self forgot haha. Here's the link again in case you missed it haha https://chloe-clegane.tumblr.com/post/190658830054/raylas-outfit-for-the-upcoming-chapter-3-of-my

First thing the next morning Opeli sent word that there would be a royal announcement in the castle courtyard that afternoon. Ethari had arrived and the councilwoman wanted no delay. 

Sitting on the tower parapet, Rayla could already see people starting to gather despite the announcement still being hours away. She heard Callum approach from behind but didn’t turn to greet him, she was too preoccupied with her angst.

He spoke her thoughts aloud. “You’re nervous, you’ve never been in public like this. You have no idea what you're doing and you’re terrified you’ll mess it all up somehow.” 

“Shut up” she snapped. 

“Am I wrong?” He asked, chuckling as he leaned his back against the wall. She nodded in reply and he went on, “You know that’s weird?”

“Hmmm?” Her attention was back on the courtyard, kicking her dangling feet. 

“I think my mom must have felt the same way when she was in your shoes.” Rayla looked at him, this got her attention. 

Queen Sarai had been a common topic lately and the more Rayla learned about her the more curious she got. Other than her hostility over deserts Rayla’d never heard a bad word about her. Imagining her as insecure was a completely new layer. Callum continued “She came from a military family but wasn’t in all of this.” he gestured out at the courtyard and castle, “When she married my step-dad this was a completely new world... I mean, me too, but I was just a little kid. They told me what to do and I learned it. It’s easy when you’re young.” He let out a big sigh. “I’ve never really thought about her side of it before now… seeing you… I don’t know” He smiled sweetly, but now it was his turn to look out pensively. 

“I guess It hadn’t occurred tae me that you and yer mum were _normal_ people. I knew about the step-prince thing but never put much thought in’tae it. Makes sense, the warrior queen thing and all.” 

“Yeah but that’s the thing, to me she was always just my mom, she was warm and loving. I would see her train with her spear and advise my step-dad in court and stuff… she still wasn’t a queen or a fighter. Just the person who loved me, who played with me and kissed me goodnight.” His thoughtful face broke with a small smile “You know, I think I was the only person she would ever share a dessert with.” he signed “Parents seem like these perfect beings growing up. My step-dad, I had long enough to see him as a flawed man. I wonder what knowing her as an adult would be like.” Rayla bent over and kissed the top of his head. 

“It’s different fer me but I understand what you mean. I was left with Runnan and Ethari and my parents lived away from me. I would only see them when they were on leave from the dragon guard... Always muh birthday. I have so many questions but now they’re **really** gone and I’ll probably never see them again.”

“Hey, you don’t know that” he was comforting “Those coins are out there somewhere, we just have to find them” 

“Yeah….” the mood had really taken a turn and it was supposed to be a day to celebrate. “You know what's really weird?” she grinned at him.

“Tell me.” he rested an elbow on the wall and looked up at her. 

“We’re adults now, like you said. Parents and adulthood, It used to feel so far away, but here we are. **And** we’re doin’ adulty things.” She reached out to take his hand and he gave it. “We’re gettin’ married, like real grown-ups!” 

He laughed and smiled wide at her “You know you’re right, we’re adulting **so** hard right now”. 

Holding his hand she jumped down from the wall and kissed him, taking an extra minute to hold him close before she pulled away. “So excited I get tae do all this with you. **But** , I’m still completely terrified to parade around like a fancy royal person, hoping people don’ get mad I’m an elf.”

“Rayla, you’re going to be fine. We’ll walk around and people will see you as a wonderful, funny and amazing person. Not some stranger, they’ll see **you**.” She offered him a weak smile. “You’re going to do great. I promise.” He pulled her in to kiss her again but they were interrupted. 

A guard jogged up to them panting and gasping, “I found you!” Gasp “Tailor and maids” wheeze “Said they need you” huff “Been looking everywhere”

Callum looked guilty “Uuhhh sorry we were so hard to find. Are you going to be ok?” 

“Oh no, don’t worry about me. You just need to go find the royal tailors for a final fitting or something, and some maids are waiting to get you done up” He pointed at Rayla and she felt icy dread grip her. 

“Well great!” Callum kissed her quickly and moved to go. 

She grabbed his wrist and stopped him hissing. “You said nothin’ about makeovers”. 

He smiled apologetically “How was I supposed to know?” She continued to glare “I love you?” he tried before pecking her on the cheek before fleeing to catch up with the guard. Rayla groaned and followed. 

  
  


The first thing they did was shove her into the dress. She had a few moments to admire it while they pinned the last of the hem. It seems that the dressmaker had tried to approximate the elven style. It was somewhere between the layered robes of Katolis and the tight fitting clothing she’s used to. Tight at the waist with bare shoulders, but billowy sleeves to the elbow. It was more round and less angled than the usual human apparel. But it was clearly Katolian red and gold. They had taken her measurements the day Callum and she arrived so the garment fit well and she felt really... ok. They hurried away as quick as they’d come, leaving Rayla in the underdress. 

Next she was sat down, they powdered her face and colored her lips a little and her hair was poked and prodded, she could tell the woman was afraid to touch her horns. The first attempt was a disaster. They were about to start again when there was a knock at the door. It opened and Ethari walked in. Luckily in his frantic worry that he would miss the wedding, he had packed a formal outfit. He looked really nice.

“ah was told you’d be in here gettin’ ready.” He took one look at the frustrated woman unpinning the awkward updo and tried to step in “It looks like maybe ah could be of some help. Dae you mind?” 

The woman looked skeptical. “This is a formal occasion are you able-?”

“ **Yes!** ” Rayla was a bit too eager 

He laughed and smiled kindly “Yes, I am able to do something appropriate. I’ve been doing her hair most of her life, I’m very capable.” 

The woman didn’t argue, in fact, she looked relieved. She exercised herself and left the box of tools behind. 

“Thank you Ethari! You rescued me in the nick of time.” she was relieved. 

“ah know this stuff isn’t yer favorite. The state I found you in was about what ah expected.” he chuckled. And picked up the brush to start working. “Yer nervous.” It wasn’t a question.

“We’ll o’course I am!” he nodded “I’m about tae be paraded around like a prize moonstrider! Or worse, a freak. Everyone keeps telling me it will be great...” She grumbled.

His hand wove the braids as he spoke. “Ah think it’s valid tae be afraid that people will judge. Ah worry about it too. But don’ be worried you’ll embarrass yerself.” 

She scoffed and rolled her eyes “yeah because I never make an awkward fool of muhself” 

His smile was somewhere between sympathetic and encouraging. “From what that woman, Opeli? Told me, it won’ just be walkin’ around lookin’ pretty You’ll be speakin’ with people, letting them see you aren’t some foreign stranger. You’re showing people that you’re a real person, nothin’ tae be afraid of. And Rayla, yer a wonderful young woman, try tae be confident. Yer marryin’ into royalty, it’s ah big deal” 

“Yeah, but isn’t that weird? Like I’m better than them because I happen tae love some prince?” She felt so uncomfortable with that idea.

“Yer missing the point still, yer showin’ them yer normal, **not** better. And you just happen tae be an elf and you just happen tae love their prince. Otherwise, yer just like them” He finished her hair and squeezed her shoulders. “Just be yerself… except smile… smile much, **much,** more.” He chuckled and she elbowed him. 

She turned her head in the mirror to admire the braided updo. Her Uncle had created two braids on the front of her face. Then three that met at her neck to cradle a bun. He also added a few silk ribbons to her horns in place of actual Moonshadow style jewelry. She placed one of her hands over his on her shoulder. Rayla liked the end result, it looked nice. “Thank you Ethari… fer the hair and the pep talk. I feel… pretty.” 

“You look beautiful and so grown up” He sighed and kissed the top of her head. She thought about what he said. She did look older, elegant, and just maybe, beautiful. It was like looking at a new version of herself. 

They ended up discussing her jewelry for the wedding when the door opened, the maid entered with the dress and when Ethari left they started buttoning her in. She hadn’t been dressed by anyone since he was 5. She tried to hide just how uncomfortable she felt.

The visitors just kept coming. Opeli appeared as the maids finished and left. “Rayla, you look lovely.” She smiled kindly, “may I speak with you?” 

“uh yeah o’course” The head adviser took a seat across from her on the edge of the bed. She felt like she had just been called into the headmaster’s office. 

“I know Callum has told you some of the expectations for today, greeting the people-”

“Yeah, yeah” She waved off the woman's repeat instructions and nodded emphatically. 

“So, I want to handle this delicately.” Raylla’s mind went to the pregnancy questions and she felt her eye start twitching. The woman continued. “There will be some who... _oppose_ this match. The alliance with the elfs is still very new and there are those who will discriminate and even be angered by the very idea of this relationship. I was informed about an incident with a rock...” 

“Yeah I know we kind of assumed these things would happen. But it’s fine I can take care of mahself, and Callum.” 

“But that’s the thing Rayla. There are a lot of people who fear elves, _especially_ former Moonshadow assassins. We would like you to go unarmed today. It’s imperative that you seem... _nonthreatening_ ”

“But you just said-”

“If something were to happen we want you to allow us to take care of it, Amaya and Soren will be there as well as other guards. I’ve already spoken with Callum about not using his magic as well.”

Rayla felt some anger make its way into her voice “So what? You want me tae be some damsel? Do I hav’ta be helpless and sWoOn? I can fight muh own battles!”

“Rayla” Opeli spoke calmly and cautiously. “Please, that’s not what I’m saying at all. We all know you’re capable. The point is that this will be people’s first impression of you. The last thing we want is to give any reason to fear or distrust. We want them to see elves and humans can live in harmony. Do you understand?” Rayla didn’t like it but she understood it. 

“Fine. But I still want muh blades closeby. I’ll have Soren carry them for me.” 

“That’s a great compromise” Opeli smiled “Thank you” She got up to leave but Rayla stopped her.

“Opeli, before you go, can I have some money?” 

Opeli looked surprised by the request and blinked a few times. “Well, I uhh, don’t see why not. There is an allowance that Callum receives from the treasury… Is it a large amount?” She sounded very un-easy and Rayla realized how out of place this must seem.

 _Is asking for money a weird thing to do?_ _Was this rude?_ She wondered. “Uhhhh I don’ know what large would be. I want to get Callum a gift.” Opeli’s face relaxed and she smiled. Rayla liked Opeli, she was a prudent and trustworthy adviser to Ezran. And below the hard political exterior she was good-hearted. Rayla could understand the hesitance to hand money out willy nilly. 

“Yes, Rayla this is something I can help you with. Assuming it’s not too extravagant. What did you have in mind? I can probably help you acquire anything that can’t be found in town.”

“It’s just-I wanted tae get him another sketchbook, special, from me. I want tae pick it out.” 

The woman smiled warmly “That will be no trouble. When you do go to town look for an orange sign with a blue paintbrush. I can probably get the coins now. We’ll be meeting in the main entrance in about 20 minutes so be ready” She got up to leave and turned back with a smile “by the way I think he’ll love that.” 

Finally, her and Callum met in the hallway. They had cut his hair leaving it longer on top and trimmed close on the sides. It was like a softer version of Soren’s, the lines more blended. The front still hung over his forehead but was swooped to the side to show the circlet, she didn’t know he owned. It was similar to Ezran’s except the ends representing the two towers only extended up. She’s never seen him in such a formal setting. His clothing was very standard Katolian, a fitted jacket over trousers. It was made with the same fabrics as her dress, they matched up nicely. 

“You Clean up well... fer a human”. She jabbed. 

He didn’t take her teasing bait at all. “You’re absolutely stunning and I have no idea what I did to trick you into spending the rest of your life with me” he said it matter of factly. 

She laughed and kissed him. “You don’ think it’s ah little much? I feel… _ornamental_ ”

“You aren’t alone, they cut my hair and put me in a tiara!” he complained and pointed “I don’t think I’ve ever been this dressed up in my life.” He pulled at his stiff collar.

Rayla took comfort in his shared feeling of exploitation. She appreciated the goal; be the first union of an elf and human. Show the world that love and understanding can overcome prejudice and hatred. _Blah Blah_. 

“I really like yer hair” She ran her fingers through it and felt a little blush creep onto her face. She’ll never get tired of his handsome face.

“Well good, guess it’s not so bad then” He held her face and leaned in to kiss her when they heard Soren clear his throat, interrupting their flirtation. 

“Ok love birds, I know you like being cute and shit but it’s almost go-time.” he put his hand out to Rayla “Gimmie the blades, Opeli told me to hold onto them” 

Rayla clutched the belt and holstered weapons to her chest “I swear Soren, if anythin’ happens to these I will fillet you with a bread knife” 

“Ew, rude. I pinky promise I’ll take good care of your babies. Now come on.” 

She handed them over begrudgingly and he attached the belt to his. While Callum was distracted she whispered a plan to Soren. 

Opeli came and complemented the elegant couple and ran them through the instructions **again** . Rayla felt the acid returning to her stomach as the reality of following said instructions began to hit her. Before Opeli left she slipped Rayla a small pouch of coins as promised. Callum noticed as she tucked it away but she shot him a look that said _mind your own business._

They lined up in front of the large main doors and were herded into position. Even Ethari was included in the retinue, he still looked incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. But when they made eye contact he gave her an encouraging smile. As the guards reached for the doors Callum squeezed her hand, they shared a nervous smile and one more deep breath. The doors swung open. The crowd began clapping for their king eager to hear the surprise proclamation. 

Ezran walked ahead of them onto the balcony, waving and smiling. The couple stood a few feet behind him as he gave a sincere speech about love bridging the gap between Katolis and Xadia. When finished he finally gave the announcement “It’s my deepest pleasure to announce the engagement of my brother Prince Callum to Rayla of the Silvergrove.” It was their cue to step forward, they smiled and waved. The crowd erupted into applause and cheering. Rayla couldn’t help notice a portion of the crowd looked confused and some just up and left. She pushed the worry down and kept smiling the awkwardly big smile. She turned to look at him and when he saw her his smile went from forced to genuine. Impulsively he kissed her. He grabbed her face and his lips were warm and enthusiastic. She couldn’t help but relax into it. She heard some awwwws from the crowd and more cheering. When they pulled apart he whispered in her ear “let them walk out, I will **never** be ashamed to love you”. She knew he meant it and it made her knees weak. Their smiles were less forced after that.

What happened next was like nothing Rayla had ever experienced. They began making their way through the courtyard and into the city streets. It was terrifying, she’s fought evil mages and giant spiders so at this point most things didn’t phase her. This was a different kind of terrifying, it was overwhelming. She uncomfortably took compliments, shook hands and was asked questions, some of which may have been a little culturally insensitive, but well meaning. As they were instructed Callum and her attempted to connect with people. Children stepped forward and brought her flowers and told her she was pretty, that they liked her purple eyes. It occurred to her this is likely the closest many of these humans have been to and elf. This situation was extremely bazaar. 

Soren walked directly behind the two and a pair of additional guards walked a few feet behind him. She kept receiving flowers and Callum placed a few in her hair. She reciprocated and started tucking them into his circlet. He looked adorably ridiculous and they shared a few chaste kisses and held hands. The flowers just kept coming, she moved onto Soren, he glared unamused by the daisies behind each ear. Eventually, a basket appeared in the hands of one of the guards and she could finally free up her hands. It was a relief. On top of the greeting, and the smiling, and the waving, she didn’t need to be over encumbered by bouquets. Things seemed to be going well and she was starting to think she’d be able to pull this thing off. 

Eventually, she saw the orange and blue sign that Opeli had told her about it was off on a small side street. She doubted the councilwoman wanted her to do this now but it seemed like a good excuse to take a break. Rayla caught Soren’s attention, he winked, clicked his tongue and snapped his pointed fingers at her then nodded to the other guards. Callum had been pulled into a conversation so it was the perfect time to sneak away. As she entered the shop she looked back and saw a very confused Callum searching the crowd for her. 

She hurried in and Soren stayed at the doorway blocking anyone from entering behind her. The shop was empty, probably because everyone was outside. She startled the owner, “You’re a-wait-the… You’re the Prince’s betrothed, the news is all over town, everyone’s talking about it.” the lanky man stuttered.

Rayla chuckled awkwardly “Yup, you caught me. hehe...” awkward silence. 

He looked as nervous as she felt. “Ummm, so can I help you?” he asked.

“Right, Yeah! I’m in a bit’of a hurry. I need a sketchbook. A nice one, leather with shiny stuff or somethin’” he showed her a selection. The one she picked was maroon leather with an embossed heart made up of the angular linework commonly found in Katolis. It seemed subtle and still got the point across. She also purchased a few pencils the man recommended. He wrapped the parcel and tied it with string. 

“All right that’ll be-” 

“There you go” she placed the entire pouch of coins in his hand and he looked shocked. “Is that enough?” she asked.

“Yes it’s ah-let me get your chang- ” 

“Great! Gotta go! Thanks!” She smiled and waved as she dashed out.

She heard him yell behind her. “Thank you **_please_ ** come again”. 

As she left the shop a group of three men were walking by, one stopped when he saw her. He looked at her with disgust, she could feel the atmosphere turn sour “Take your filth back to Xadia wench” he stepped forward and spit at Rayla’s feet. She was taken aback but then narrowed her eyes. She tried to remember Opeli’s words but luckily Soren intervened before she could kick the arse hole square in the chest. Soren simply stepped in front of her and raised his arms, moved forward and lifted his chin sharply. The leader flinched and backed away. 

One of the men in the back spoke up “The prince must enjoy those legs, open like a whore” 

The third man spoke “That must be the only reason he must want a monster in his bed” 

This time Soren put a hand on the pommel of his sword. He didn’t have to say a word, the intimidation worked and they ran away. 

“Yeah, that’s right, run home you little bitches” Soren called mocking after them, then he turned to Rayla concerned. “You ok?” 

She nodded. In truth, the answer was yes and no. She could have taken those thugs alone and unarmed, but it unsettled her much more than she had expected. Being hated face to face by strangers like that left her angry and a little shaken. “Let’s just get back.” 

Soren put the parcel quietly into the flower basket when they rejoined the procession. 

“Where were you?-” Callum asked surprised and confused.

“Had tae use the little elf’s room, don’ worry about it”, she kissed him quickly and changed the subject “Now please, let’s start workin’ our way back. This is exhaustin’.” He agreed and they slowly changed direction. Her fake forced smile had returned and she found herself not wanting to let go of Callum’s hand. 

  
  


Once the doors closed behind them they practically collapsed. They massaged their sore smiling muscles while being praised for how well they did. Everyone was enthusiastic about how kind and open people had been to Rayla. That having her accepted as their future princess would be easier than they hoped. 

When asked if there was any trouble Soren opened his mouth but Rayla cut him off. “Everything was just fine”, She lied. She wasn’t sure she wanted Callum to know about the tearaways. She didn’t want him to worry or get mad. This was a good day and she didn’t want to spoil it. There was no harm done... _this time_ , was the nagging end to that thought. 

  
  


After dinner Rayla excused herself early, eager to be alone after the giant mob they spent the afternoon in. With her basket in hand, Rayla stopped to retrieve a nightdress from the room she pretended was her’s and then sauntered to Callum’s. She changed and started arranging flowers on the bed. It was a lovely assortment, they weren’t extravagant, mostly wildflowers or ones common in a garden. She sifted through them while she got lost in thought. She’d never been praised so much in her life and had no idea how to feel about it. People were so nice, despite her being an elf, excited to meet her and kind. She picked petals off a flower, lamenting that one bad moment and she felt it seep into her mind like poison. She hated that she just stood there and took the verbal abuse. She was grateful for Soren, he was a loyal friend but it should have been her fight. When all the petals were pulled off the flower she beat back the negativity. She wanted to give Callum his gift and have him all to herself. She would make this evening special for them both! 

When he finally entered he was in a good mood, he immediately began taking off the jacket and his boots while excitedly telling her about something that happened at dinner. When he finally turned to look at her he was stripped down to his pants and white undershirt. He stopped and went silent when he saw her. She was lounging on the bed covered in flowers wearing a thin silk nightgown. It was a nice fabric and so it never made an appearance when they traveled. 

“Hi” was all he managed. 

She hopped off the bed to greet him with a light kiss. “Hello. Why do you have that stupid grin on yer face?” she looked behind her for an imaginary target. “Was it something over there? Or maybe you just have gas?” 

He laughed and reached for her “Hmmmmm what could it be?” he pondered “OH! Maybe my smoking hot fiance in the fancy outfit I like”

She looked at him with fake confusion “No that seems silly, probably just gas”.

“Oh come here!” He pulled her in for a kiss and she took the moment to reach for the hem of his shirt. He chuckled as it cleared his head. “Is that how this night is going? Sometimes I think you only want me for my body”.

“In mah defense, it’s a very nice body” She smiled coyly as she traced one of the tattoos on his upper arm. “Actually though, I have a gift fer you”. He looked surprised and she guided him towards the bed but he stopped 

“ok this is really weird” he had a bashful smile “I uuhh… I have a present for you too” 

She cocked her head to one side and it was her turn to look surprised “Seriously?” 

“Yeah!” He chuckled as he went to retrieve a parcel from a drawer. 

They sat together, Rayla insisted he open his first. He agreed and she watched his face intently, when he saw it the soft smile was exactly the response she hoped for. She loved that smile with all her heart. He ran his fingers over the embossed patterns on the cover, memorizing the shapes. Finally, he looked up at her “Rayla this is beautiful. Thank you” he kissed her tenderly.

“I thought this would be a better place for you to keep yer _private_ sketches.” She elbowed him playfully but he looked perplexed. “ _You know_ , The risque ones you like tae do. The ones you have tae take out of the regular sketchbook so no one sees.” She purred. 

“Oooooooooh” He understood now and smirked, “you mean when I draw you as my elegant naken muse?”

“Yes! This is yer special red pornography sketchbook… you perv” she chuckled

“Hey you bought it for me so you can’t mind it too much.” he teased.

“Ahh you got me there” she winked and they laughed together and he thanked her one more time. 

“Really Rayla, I love it, and I can’t wait to fill it with all the ways I get to see you.” He kissed her hand “Now it’s your turn!” 

The parcel was smaller than his and she couldn’t help noticing the pink string. She opened it carefully and was confused by what she found. “They’re… socks?” She unfolded them to take a closer look.

Callum looked defeated “You don’t like them? Was it too forward? I tho-” 

“Callum they seem like very nice socks I just... Why are they so tall? Kind of flimsy” She always had a sense for when she was missing a human thing, that sense was tingling now.

“Oooooooohh” Callum’s face was pink. “Are stockings not a thing for you?” 

“I guess not.” she paused “Wait a minute. Are these sexy fancy socks?” 

He chuckled a little embarrassed. “They’re silk stockings, and... yes they are sexy. Keep in mind I don’t really know what I’m talking about but the woman at the shop said these were the highest quality in the five kingdoms, imported from Neolandia.” He sounded proud of that, Rayla found it wonderfully cute “And before you call me a perv again they’re not just for the bedroom, usually, they’re worn under fancy dresses. Buuuuuut most men do find them... very _alluring_.” 

“So they’re like tights, except fancier but also leave mah cunny wide open?” Callum snort laughed. One of her favorite sounds he makes, maybe her favorite sound ever. 

“Yup, Rayla you…” He had to stop laughing “you hit the nail on the head there” 

She admired them fully, running her fingers along the teal ribbon gathering the ruffled embroidered edges. The more she looked at them the more beautiful she found them. It was clear he’d picked them out with care, “They’re soft… and dainty…” she smiled sincerely “I love them... and they’re beautiful. Thank you Callum”. 

“You’re welcome my muse. I guess they can be featured in the first sketch of my new book” She could tell he was pleased with himself. He kissed her but pulled away she looked into his _bedroom eyes (because she couldn't call it the licentious prince look anymore)_. He suggested “I think you should try them on. Can I help?” He was trying to be smooth. 

Rayla wasn’t sure what he meant but she was eager to let him. He got on his knees in front of her. The blush that spread across her face was scalding. As he placed her foot in his lap he ran both hands up and down her leg. His touch sent chills down her spine while still managing to burn against her skin. The way he looked at her was full of desire. Taking the stocking he slowly rolled it up onto her thigh and tied the ribbon. But before moving to the next he kissed the inside of her thigh. He stopped when he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear. He bit his lip and she chuckled. 

“Ah thought you’d like that” she smiled with satisfaction. 

He muttered as he kissed and stroked the other leg “I do like it, I like it _a lot_ ” 

He rolled the second stocking up with equal tenderness. When he finished he stopped to look at her, he reached for her hands and kissed them. “Rayla you are so… perfect… I…” She pulled him to his feet and over her onto the bed, she kissed him passionately. She worked on the buttons of his pants and pushed them down. He fumbled a little trying to step out of them. It wasn't’ the most smooth thing he’s done but he was cute as ever. 

She layed back on the bed and he moved his hand between her legs. She whined against his lips when he slipped a finger inside her. Then a second finger pumped slowly. Too slowly. He was driving her mad so when she saw an opening she took it and flipped him onto his back. He looked a little shocked at how quickly the tables had turned but then smiled in awe of her. Taking charge like a tidal wave she crashed her love onto him, letting her passion hit like waves. She felt lovely and fierce, raking her nails on his bare chest and grinding against his hard and ready cock. Everytime he tried to get up she showered him harder with affection and she felt the smile on his lips. He pulled her down, flush against him and she laughed. He chuckled into her ear “You’re so aggressive. Are you going to take advantage of me?” He said it with a flirtatious eyebrow wiggle. 

“Maybe” She purred. She lined herself up and then lowered herself fully onto him. Rayla took a moment to enjoy the feeling. She loved having him inside her, connected in a way meant only for them. He filled her and it was perfect.

As she began to rock herself on top of him he reached to help control her thrusts but grabbed his wrists and held them above his head with one hand. She ground into him and he moaned and sighed happily. Holding his arms down with her left hand she uses her right to rub herself while she rode him. He was moaning and writhing underneath her. He never tried to pull free of her grasp. He’d given her his trust and submission, she took it and cherished it. They both started panting, he lurched forward and moaned her name. She should have pulled herself off but she enjoyed feeling him release inside her and she was so close, it only took a few more seconds grinding until she crumpled into her own climax. 

They rolled onto their sides and shared a tender kiss.  
“I liked that.” he was catching his breath “You can do it again sometime.” he held her face sweetly and kissed her forehead. 

She hummed a “Yeah sounds good” 

“My sweet mistress, take me” he said over dramatically.

“Oh I’m yer mistress now?” she chuckled “I love you mah sexy slave human”

He apparently found that hysterical and burst out laughing. “ _ugh!_ I love you so much. You never fail to make me laugh”. She felt warm and happy in his arms. Grinning he added “You know, I like your stockings, whoever picked them out must have really good taste” she laughed and rolled around wrestling him into the perfect position to cuddle. Later she posed for him and he drew her, presumably a masterpiece. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm still delivering on channeling these characters  
> So much crash into me by Dave Mathews vibes, also underneath your clothes by Shakira, those were my sexy time writing songs. Also that stocking scene in Poldark got channeled a little but in a completely different way haha  
> Serious question, what is in your Rayllum playlist? :)


	5. My Favorite Gift is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally Ezran's Birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, wonderful people, I hope everyone had a great week! I love you for coming back for more.
> 
> Happy 3 month canon anniversary to our wonderful Rayllum! YAY!

A few days later they celebrated Ezran’s birthday. The desserts flowed freely, in fact, there were  **no other meals** , just dessert. The whole  _ eating unwholesome foods in extreme portion sizes _ was no joke. Contributing to the overload of sweets made Rayla feel a bit… unethical? Enabling? Disgusted? Her own misgivings aside she knew Ezran would appreciate her idea for an Ultimate Deluxe Super Moonberry Surprise Cake, it would be the perfect gift… if she could pull it off. 

Rayla woke up early that morning and after some kissing and cuddling with her favorite human, she met with Barius. She explained her vision and the baker was a little distressed when he realized she didn’t have an actual recipe. But he was able to approximate what she described. Barius insisted that he should make the sponge. But figured she would be able to execute the filling and frosting easily enough. She figured it couldn’t be that hard so she followed instructions and got to work.

  
  


Most of Ezran’s day was spent with Zym, he’d flown to Katolis with an escort of three skywing dragon guards. He was only able to stay for 2 days so he and Ez were getting in as much quality time as possible. When Rayla left the kitchens to go find her family, she was shocked to see Ezran riding Zym. The dragon had grown considerably in the almost 3 years since he’d hatched and was bigger than a horse now, but Rayla still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The two kings zipped around the castle towers and through the clouds, Ez whooping and Zym happily chirping. 

Rayla came up behind Callum and took his hand, he turned his attention from the sky to smile at her. She gazed up with him “Been quite a’while hasn’t it, since all this started. Funny how they’ve both grown up so much but still somehow managed to stay exactly the same. A couple o’goof balls.” 

Callum chuckled “Yeah, it’s true.” He smiled and brought her hand up to place a kiss on it. “The world has changed so much, but somethings, the people you love, they stay the same. Like how amazing you are for example.” 

As always his words warmed Rayla’s heart but when he leaned in to kiss her she wiped her head back up to the sky when she saw the aerial duo heading into a tower, grazing it and thankfully not smacking into it full force. “Oye!!! EZ!!! TOWER!!!!” Rayla screamed up at the teen.

“WE’RE OK!” He yelled down and waved, Zym nodded in agreement. 

“DON’T BREAK YOUR NECK! I WILL BE SO PISSED!” Callum screamed back. Some of the color drained from his face. “PAY BETTER ATTENTION!” He looked like he was ready to go all mage wings and bring his brother down himself.

Amaya also looked distressed. Frustrated she wasn’t able to scream after him she nudged Janai to make girlfriend do it for her. Even Bait had turned purple. 

“Teenagers are stupid” Rayla sighed. 

“Hey, we weren't... technically still aren't” Callum defended. 

“Seriously? We’re just lucky our bullshit paid off” She laughed “I climbed the side of  **that** ” She pointed “wall. Thinkin’ I could kill a child in cold blood, almost fell to mah death about three times doin’ it.  **And you** kept playin’ with lightnin’ even though you din’ know what you were doin’, nearly killed me I might add!” 

He chucked “But I  **didn’t** kill you! So it’s fine.”

“Oh you’re right, that makes  **_everythin’_ ** fine. Wasn’t stupid at all. **_”_ **

He pouted at her sarcasm but then narrowed his eyes at her “Human Rayla”.

“Don’ go there! I was amazin’ at that! How about Elf Callum  **or** WiNtEr LoDgE, nO wInTeR, nO hUmAnS?”

“Owch” he glared “you've made your point and we should definitely stop this there. I still want you to marry me and I worry this conversation won’t end well.” 

She laughed “ _ Aww you’re less stupid now _ ” she cooed and he continued to glare back at her. But held her hand anyway. She squeezed it “Like I said, lucky. Our stupidity might save the world.” 

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they continued to nervously watch the air show, screaming every time the teens tried to do barrel rolls and loops. The March day was cooled by the breeze but warmed by the sun, winter was truly at its end and the group enjoyed welcoming the spring.

  
  


Soon it was 3rd dessert meal (second lunch?) and the group had it out in one of the courtyards as a picnic. This was the planned time for presents and so everyone had their wrapped packages or hidden gifts with them. Apparently hand made was a theme. After all, what do you buy for a king? Amaya and Janai were the only ones who didn’t make their gift. It was a sunforged dagger. His aunt felt at 13, it was about time he had his own weapon. Ezran looked a little intimidated by it but thanked them nonetheless. 

Soren went second, his surprise was a shockingly not terrible ceramic statue of Ez and Zym hugging. The sculpture wasn’t good, but you could tell who the figures were supposed to be so Rayla felt that the dumb oaf had at least accomplished the goal. Ezran was a little confused but when he figured it out he seemed to really enjoy it. Bait was entirely unimpressed by it, and maybe a little jealous it wasn’t him made in clay. 

Callum was also miffed that Soren had made an art project, he muttered into her ear “art is  **my** thing!” She laughed and rolled her eye’s at him. Her fiance’s gift was of extremely better quality, so if it was a competition he still won, but if cake counts as art Rayla thought this could be a very close race. Callum had done a detailed color pencil drawing and had it framed, it was a family portrait. Ezran sat in the front and Rayla and Callum stood behind him, each with a hand on his shoulder and Bait was in his lap of course. This art piece was much better received by the glowtoad than Soren’s. 

Ethari had made a simple bracelet of silver and purple braids. It was the kind of thing Rayla knew he could make easily and quickly with tools he probably borrowed. It was modest but as always the workmanship was impeccable. Ezran thought it was amazing. 

Finally, it was her turn, she rolled the huge cake around the corner on a tea cart. 

Ezran gasped. “Rayla it looks delicious! Give it, give it!” He reached out scrunching his fists. 

She laughed as she cut him a generous piece. The purple sponge and gooey red filling looked great! She felt a little smug as she handed Ez the slice. He took a huge bite and his face scrunched, he coughed a little. Rayla felt her face fall, why did he look like that, she wondered. Then Ezran smiled and kept nodding. “Wow Rayla, it’s so… thoughtful of you to make this, wow!” 

“Do you like it!?” she asked cautiously. 

“Mmmmhmmmm” he continued to nod. 

Everyone else cautiously sampled it, everyone started gagging. 

Soren hadn’t caught on to everyone's hesitancy and took a large bite, his response felt overly dramatic “Ugh blah” He spit it directly on the ground. “That’s terrible. hack hack. I think it’s poison! I’m too young to die!” 

Rayla looked hurt but then crossed her arms and scowled at her friend “Wow Soren you’re sure bein’ an arse about this. I go to all this trouble, and you can’t even be nice? It can’t be that bad.” Now she stupidly took a huge bite and was immediately filled with regret, “so salty! Egh, what did I? Water!?”. She realized Ethari had never even taken a bite of his piece, his lack of faith was added salt in the salty, salty wound. 

“Rayla, it’s ok. I really appreciate it!” Ezran tried to comfort her but she had already stormed away red-faced and humiliated. 

  
  


Ezran found Rayla outside “That squirrel was right, you are in a tree!”.

She and her bruised ego were hiding. When she saw him she turned away “just leave me with mah shame!” 

He started climbing, it took him a minute but he made it up and nudged her so he could sit next to her. Luckily it was an old sturdy tree. “I meant it when I told you I appreciated the effort.” 

Rayla made a noise somewhere between a whine and a chuckle and tossed her head back “Thanks, but also I’m still sooooooo sorry” 

“Seriously Rayla.” He insisted. “But you know what my real favorite present is?” 

She still had her eyes up and her shoulders slumped “Hmmmm Soren’s statue was pretty good...  _ very lifelike _ ” her words were heavily laced with sarcasm. 

“You know? I do like it” he smiled “Soren put a lot of effort into it,  **same as you** . Want to guess again?!”

She took a moment to think “Well I know it wasn’t the fire dagger, I’m pretty sure yer afraid of it.”

He laughed “yeah, you got me there. But really, my favorite gift, is’s you Rayla.”

This time she actually righted her posture and made eye contact. “Me? What do you mean, me?” She was honestly confused.

“Yeah, you. When you guys came and told me you're getting married, it was such a good surprise. My favorite thing out of all of this is knowing in a few months you’ll  **really** be my sister.” she felt her prickly mood soften as he continued “In a way, I’ve already thought of you like that for a long time. But now, it’s real and official! Best birthday ever!” His sincerity, something she’s always loved about him, was acting as a salve on her wounded pride. 

“Oh, Ez” Rayla smiled, his sentiment was humbling and she exhaled some of her negativity “I feel the same way about you, I’m happy to have you as a brother too. Now come’ere.” 

She pulled him into a hug and they stayed together for a while kicking their tangling feet and talking. Catching up about all kinds of things. He told her weird stuff animals say sometimes and that he met their shadowpaws. Apparently they’re both very nice but don’t think they’re getting nearly enough fish. Rayla made a mental note. He also confided in her, some of his worries. There had been rumors about underground meetings to talk about hating and not trusting elves. Now that ambassadors and scholars have started visiting Katolis, and now… her, not everyone is happy about it. Rayla thought about keeping the procession incident to herself but decided to fess up about it. He understood why she didn’t want to worry anyone but they both ended up going quiet for a bit to sit in their worry. It always broke Rayla’s heart to see these things on his shoulders, he was too young to carry so many burdens like this. So she broke the tension with a few jokes and they hugged before returning to the group for 5th dessert (dinner?). 

  
  
  


After a few more days in Katolis, it was time for everyone to part ways. It was decided that the Wedding would be in 3 months, as they wanted at the Moon Nexus. With the mages disappearing suspiciously and Aaravos and Viren’s location unknown, they had to be careful about having politically important guests all in one place. The exact date and location would be kept private and invitations would be hand-delivered along with illusion medallions to the human rulers. Lujanna would be assisted in creating a barrier hiding the Nexu, similar to the one that protects the Silvergrove. 

The public announcements of the marriage would be made when things were settled. After that Rayla would be made an official Princess of Katolis. That scared her, absolutely boggled her mind. Never in her life had she thought things would turn out like this for her. The most terrifying part was the fact that until Ezran had his own heir, which at 13 was a long way off, Callum would be next in line for the throne, which would make her a queen. That thought was horrendous for a number of reasons. But for every negative or worry, Rayla’s joy and excitement were tenfold. 

Ethari went home to the Silvergrove and Rayla and Callum left for Lux Auria with Amaya and Janai. Callum worked on his fire spells and she helped investigate the 3 Sunfire elf mages who had disappeared. She traveled alone a few times to the Silvergrove to visit Ethari, flying on a twin tail tooth tiger, courtesy of Janai, made the trips easy. The more things came together, the details, her vows, the dress, everything felt more and more real. Soon she’d be bound forever to her best friend, and it was the most spectacular thing she could imagine. She was counting down the days, they both were. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a little stuck on this one, it was kind of the fat trimmed off the tail of chapter 4. I had to find a way to use said expositional fat to make something decent. So I ended up reworking it a handful of times. Finally bounced it off a friend which was a huge help. (Rhi! you mah gurl! <3)
> 
> As always I appreciate everyone for reading. :) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.


	6. We This Night Are Bound As One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited wedding of Rayla and Callum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here ladies and gentlemen THE WEDDING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! 
> 
> So this was actually the first thing I wrote of this story. Originally it was just this wedding ceremony, then I thought "what about some smut?" and then "What about an engagement?" and "should this have an actual plot?"... it's grown quite a bit since then. I'm incredibly proud of what I've created here in this chapter and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> I’ve left you this link for my ceremony music. Feel free to listen while you read. I listened while I wrote it.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntjnBzGMXPY

Callum could feel himself sweating as he muttered the script to himself. Any moment now, he would be walking up onto that platform and performing a sealing ritual. The anxiety had him wishing he could crawl out of his skin. 

Ezran cocked his head to one side and made a face. “Callum, you look like you’re going to vomit, then pass out from not breathing, and then maybe vomit again.” His aunt backed up his brother’s statement and signed for him to take deep breaths. 

He did as he was told and tried to match his inhale and exhales to the pace of her hand gliding up and down, up and down. 

“Ok better, wow that helped. How much longer? I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning. Ezran, look around the henge. S-she’s there right? She wouldn't change her mind right?” 

The more Callum spoke the more the anxiety moved back into his voice. 

“Noooooo,” his brother whined. “She hasn’t changed her mind. I think now we’re just waiting on the music and lights. So any minute?”

Amaya agreed with Ezran again signing, “ _Yes_ , she loves you, and she’s right over there. So just take calming breaths.” She continued to coax inhale-exhale motions. 

“Cool, cool, cool as a cucumber, so cool.” Callum failed to convincingly be cool. He instead went back to muttering all the steps and words of the ritual while rocking on his heels. There was no officiant for the ceremony, and he was determined not to make an ass of himself. 

The drums of the Moonshadow Druids started to beat softly and the soft glowing orbs began to float from between the towering stones. His aunt squeezed his shoulder one more time and Callum took another deep breath as he got into position, standing behind his aunt and brother. They passed through the great stone pillars and approached the circle. The drums grew louder with every step they took. Callum’s view was partially obstructed by his aunt’s height, but he could still see over his thirteen-year-old brother. He looked over and spotted Ethari stepping up into the light opposite them, Rayla was completely blocked from view behind him. 

The family of three took their final steps to the edge of the platform and the deafening drumming fell silent, creating a vacuum. Ezran, in his most regal voice began speaking, his aunt signed in unison. “We are kin to Prince Callum of Katolis, we deliver him this night to be wed.” 

They both stepped to either side and Callum took a step forward. As he turned back, they handed him an intricately woven silk band. He let out the breath he was holding and took the last two steps up to the outer ring. Callum went through a list in his head: smile, stand up straight, breathe, don’t lock my knees, close my mouth, breathe. Breathe. 

He was fully in the light of the clearing and orbs bounced on the perimeter resembling swirling fireflies. But the main source of light was the moon itself. Somehow it seemed bigger and brighter here at the Nexus. 

Ethari’s voice, much like Ezran’s, was puffed up and projected, but retained its usual gentleness. “I am kin tae Rayla of the Silvergrove, Daughter of Tiadrin and Lain, I deliver her this night tae be wed.” He stepped aside and Callum’s entire _don’t look like an idiot_ checklist went out the window. 

She was radiant. 

Everything about her was otherworldly, she was the most beautiful creature that ever lived and Callum would fight anyone who tried to disagree. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also smiling at him, a perfect, pure smile. He saw her eyes and they were on him, and only him. She looked like the definition of love.

At this point, Callum knew he must look ridiculous, a wide smile spread across his face. She turned momentarily and his heart almost broke from the deprivation of her beauty. Divine countenance. Ethari handed her two rings and hugged her. She kissed his cheek. When she looked at Callum, she glided into the illuminated circle the demure sweet smile changed. Suddenly Callum had to ask himself, _is that how goofy_ **_I_ ** _look?_ But he realized that blushing wide smile, the one where she looked like she was going to squeal at any moment, was better. She wasn’t just some ethereal goddess, she was **his** steadfast weirdo goddess, **his** Rayla. And in that dress, he wanted to worship at her altar. Hard. 

Her dress was fitted close to her body, the skirt flowed in pleats with slits from the hip on either side. The slits were high enough for him to be very excited but low enough to be tasteful. The collar was high with a cut out above the bust, there were band-like sleeves on her arms but her shoulders were bare .The dress was covered in beading that coruscated in the light, the whole dress was white in the human style.

Callum had expected to see intricate braids, but her hair was simple. Beautiful. Topped with a moon opal hairpiece connecting a web of crystal and silver glittering beads woven between her horns, one strand hung across her brow like a tiara. As she moved her head the beads swayed and reflected light.

She knocked him out of his reverie by shooting him her trademark _‘pay attention you big dumb human’_ face. She subtly emphasized that fact her arms were up in position. Even her annoyed looks were perfect, absolutely divine. He lifted his arms and they shared a smile and a deep breath in unison. They began to dance, accompanied by the clear cascading sound of a harp. They dance around the circle and then into each other’s arms. As soon as they touched he had to resist the urge to kiss her right away and from the look on her face, Callum could only assume she was fighting a similar urge. She stroked his hand with her thumb and they shared another breath. 

“I, Prince Callum of Katolis, come to pledge my abiding love to you, Rayla of the Silvergrove. I promise my devotion, my respect, and my generosity. I vow to fortify you in adversity and honor you in your triumphs. I will cherish and adore you and swear my loyalties to you and our kin from now until my dying day. Rayla, will you take me? 

“I do.” Her answer was clear and confident. He took the ring meant for her and slipped it onto her middle finger. This was strictly a human tradition but she had been happy to include it and excited to wear it. She told him she liked the idea of showing him off even if it was just with one finger. Her violet eyes were glassy and he squeezed her hand before she started her speech. “I, Rayla of the Silvergrove, accept your pledge and offer mah own fierce love in return. I promise you mah protection, mah appreciation, and mah affection. I vow to give you honesty in happiness and despair, and to support you in your toils. I will treasure you and love you. I swear mah loyalties to you and our kin from now until my dying day. Callum, will you take me?

She quickly wiped away the few tears she let slip, while he, on the other hand, allowed the tears to roll down his cheeks. Rayla wiped them away herself and cupped his cheek, he leaned into her touch and projected, “I do.” When she went to slide the ring on his middle finger, he wiggled his ring finger, she blushed and course-corrected. 

She was his blushing bride, looking up at him with her glowing lavender eyes. He had to remind himself they weren’t done, all that was left was the ritual portion. Just one more step before he could pull Rayla close and officially be hers, for the rest of their days. 

He handed her part of the silk band with the runes woven into the fabric. Together they wrapped the band, loosely attaching themselves to one another. They spoke in unison “Love is the Moon, guiding in the darkness. We this night are joined as kin, we this night are bound as one”.

Again, they danced, moving with the flowing stream of the harp. They had spent hours practicing this dance and when they finished he could hardly believe that he had done it without a single mistake. The goal of the ritual was to complete the steps without tangling the band. They had to move intuitively together, maneuvering as one. 

When they struck the last pose they spoke the actual spell, “love bound” in draconic, the silk binding burst into glowing dust that swirled up and dispersed above their heads, like glitter. The sensation of the spell was like nothing he’d ever felt. For just a moment he could feel her heart. It was indescribable. 

Now, _finally,_ they threw themselves into each other’s arms. He pulled her face to his and they kissed with vigor. They broke apart and said, “I love you,” simultaneously. He spun her around while they both laughed. The elation he felt at that moment was palpable. All the guests were clapping and from somewhere in the back Soren could be heard howling, “Whoooooo! Yeah! You did it!” 

\------

Immediately after the ceremony, Rayla and Callum walked hand in hand out of the henge and down the long winding path to the buildings below. Part way, Rayla stopped so she could take the stupid human coin out of her shoe. Callum chuckled and did the same. 

“What dae we need lucky riches for anyways? Ye’re a prince, doesn’t that mean you already have that?” 

Callum laughed and raised his hands in defense “Hey I didn’t make up the shoe coin thing and anyways It’s supposed to bring _prosperity,_ not just money. I just so happen to think prosperity would be handy for a lot of things.”

Rayla rolled her eyes and smiled at him trying to quickly replace the shoe without halting the train of people “Not convinced. But sure I’ll humor you.” She grabbed his hand as they kept walking. “I’m starvin’, dae you suppose snack prosperity is a thing?”

“Hmmmm,” he pondered, tapping his chin for comedic effect “Should we have put deviled eggs in our shoes then?” 

She made a face “Honestly Callum… I think the coin’s’a better idea than that.”

“What about kissing prosperity? That sounds real,” He leaned in and stole one from her lips.

She giggled. “Maybe so, but I’m not kissin’ yer shoes tae find out”.

“Fair, shoes _are_ kind of gross. But hey, I’ll kiss your face! All day, every day, until forever.” He leaned into her and kissed her shoulder and then her cheek. 

“Ugh, yer so cute.” She whined. “Have I said how much I love you today?” 

“You know what? I think you might have, in a very formal, magically binding kind of way, if I’m remembering correctly.” he teased.

“Oh _yes_ , that’s right. Hmmm well I’ll still, just fer good measure,” She walked backwards in front of him “I love you Callum.” and then she bit her lip, in the flirty way she knows he loves. 

“That’s it. I have to ensure kiss prosperity, I love you too much to risk it.” He lunged for her and she stepped aside. He laughed.

“Oh no, not the kissin’ prosperity! The price is just _too high_ Callum _,_ ” she put the back of her hand to her forehead and gasped dramatically. 

“Rayla, you _must_ give me your foot. Kissing prosperity is too important, it’s a price I’m willing to pay. I’m _very_ serious” He was not very serious.

“Yer going tae have tae catch me first, you filthy human!” She turned and bolted away with a skip in her step.

“Hey! That’s filthy _‘husband’_ to you,” he pointed at her indignantly before he chased her down the path, both of them cackling like idiots. 

When they arrived at the bottom of the hill, she allowed him to jokingly kiss the top of her foot. But then he took advantage of the slit in her skirt and kissed his way up to her knee. Setting it down quickly, the line of party guests started to catch up with them. She didn’t think _kissing prosperity_ would be an issue, because she had already lost count of them. 

  
  
  


At the reception they presented each other with the elven wedding bands. Callum slid the cuffs onto her horns and then lifted her chin to kiss her sweetly. It made her knees weak. She was a big bad warrior that could be brought down with just those green eyes and soft lips. _It was a fact about herself she both loved and hated…_ but mostly loved.

Ethari had thought of a clever solution for Callum’s lack of horns. It had taken a bit of convincing before Callum agreed to let her pierce his ears. A little over a month ago she practically had to sit on his chest so she could get the needle through the cartilage on the stubby round top of his ear. The second ear was much easier once he realized he didn’t need to be such a whiny baby about it. Her eye rolling ran rampant. She fastened the wedding bands as gently as possible. He did much better this go’round only wincing slightly as she placed the two wide cuff earring in the still healing holes. She secured the pin closure and admired her handy work. He was adorable and she loved making their bond so clear to the world. She was so proud to love him. 

They kissed again and people ooohed and ahhhhed. It was bizarre to receive so much praise for public displays of affection. Before she could make her way over to the food Callum grabbed her wrist with one hand and pointed at her with the other. And of all things yelled **“THAT’S MY WIFE!”**

“Woooooo!” Soren yelled in reply. When he released her to walk away, he then high fived his brother. 

“What are you-?” She rolled her eyes and chuckled. 

The feast was held in the style of her people. Low tables were surrounded with cushions and small portions of food were carried around by illusions. Some of the human guests were confused, used to large banquet tables and huge plates, not everyone grasped the concept. She saw the King of Del Bar take an entire tray of bite-sized meat skewers and then walked around with it, befuddled as if he should take an entire tray of stuffed mushrooms as well. Rayla hid her mirth until she was able to point it out to Ezran and Queen Aanya, there was giggling. 

As they walked around greeting guests, people praised her looks or her dancing in the ceremony. Callum would lean into the person, point at her and then say, “that’s my wife.” It was becoming a little ridiculous. 

She patted his linked arm “Callum I think they know.” 

He shrugged and she rolled her eyes… again. He was a complete mystery to her sometimes. This didn’t seem like some human thing, this just seemed like a goofy Callum thing. 

They lounged back on cushions at their private table and fed each other food and cake, kissing between bites. They had picked the menu, and the couple was very pleased with themselves. Rayla checked another box. Snack prosperity seemed to be working, squishy shoe or not. Callum received the deviled eggs he had been pining for all week and she got her stuffed bacon dates. They nibbled happily, enjoying every bite - until Soren used a table as a platform and started clanking a glass.

He cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, everyone, excuse me!” 

People stopped what they were doing to pay attention. “Hello everyone, thank you. I would like to make a toast.” 

“Oh no,” Rayla was filled with sudden dread and pushed on Calum's arm, “go, stop him. Oooooooh no, this is _bad.”_ She moved to get up but her husband’s chuckle stopped her. He spoke softly in her ear, “Aw, come on Rayla, Soren’s our friend! Let’s let him have his moment. I’m sure he’ll say something really sweet.” He kissed her cheek. 

“I’m tellin’ you Callum this is not going tae end well,” she hissed. Soren started speaking and she forced her mouth shut, looking on with dread. 

“So, I’ve known Callum basically forever. I used to be his sword fighting teacher, and _oh boy_ was he bad at that.” She shot her husband an _‘I told you so’_ look. He returned a nervous smile “It’s fine though, now he’s got the magic stuff going for him. Zap hands and all that. My buddy here is really cool.” Callum gave her an apologetic look, _maybe it won’t be so bad_.

“More importantly I’m glad he’s got Rayla going for him. She’s the best! She’s even cooler than Zap Hands. She’s probably the best thing in his whole life”. 

Rayla smirked, he was right about that at least. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then it took a turn for the worst. “The first time I met her, I tried to kill her... while she was sleeping…” aaaaaand the smirk was gone. 

There was a very awkward silence, and the blond idiot took another big sip from his glass. It occurred to Rayla that that was not his first big sip and maybe not his first glass either. She tried not to groan out loud. 

“So uh anyways, didn’t kill her, for the record. But I guess you already know that - because she’s alive and stuff. But also for the record, I still think the mud in my mouth was kind of a cheap shot,” he laughed at his own memory. “Gross. So yeah, I think we’ve all grown so much as people since then. I still remember Callum as this dweeb who used to fall in the mud all the time. I **never** would have thought you could get a wife _this_ cool.” 

This time Rayla did groan aloud, and Callum, who originally smiled politely, was now glaring at their friend. 

“I don’t think he’s a dork anymore, though. I still feel bad about all those times I used to make fun of him and hurt his feelings. But you know, I really only did it because my dad didn’t love me,” he paused and frowned. He looked down into his empty cup. “I think I just hurt my _own_ feelings…” 

Rayla covered her eyes. This was too hard to watch. 

There wasn’t a cringe-free face in the crowd. “I feel like I lost the point here a bit. But uh, aren't they just the best though?” Some people nodded in agreement, taking slow bites as they watched the things play out. “Rayla is strong, and really funny, and cool. Callum is so nice and he’s smart and, like I said before. Zap hands. _Pew-pew!”_ He gestured with what appeared to be magic hands. “What I'm trying to say is they’re really awesome and I’m really glad they’re married. Also Callum, you bagged a hottie. I’m proud of you, bud.” He winked. 

“Hey, okay!” Ezran climbed onto the table beside their friend and patted his back “Soren, that was so... great! Give it up for Soren everyone.” A few people clapped awkwardly.

“Aw, thanks Ez! Oh hey Amaya,” he said as Callum’s aunt reached up to give the big dumb oaf a hand off the table. She then proceeded to guide him to a plate of bready carbohydrates. Rayla figured a few glasses of water wouldn’t hurt either. 

Ezran was a natural public speaker soo when he started people listened. 

“I’ll keep my speech brief.” He smiled over at Rayla and Callum. “I have the world's best brother. Growing up, he always looked out for me and loved me unconditionally. Well, now he’s given me a sister and Soren was right, she is _so_ amazing. And the best part is, I know my brother has someone who looks out for him, makes him feel special, happy and who will love him unconditionally. A partner for life.” At this point, Callum reached over and took her hand. They shared a smile before turning back. “Rayla, I’m so happy you're my sister and I want you to know I think our parents would have been happy to have you as a daughter. I think they would be as proud as I am to have you in our family. I love you both so much. Please, everyone, raise your glasses to Rayla and Callum!”

The whole party raised their glasses and toasted them. Rayla was grateful for Ezran’s smooth recovery from Soren’s debacle. 

The soft music sped up into a lively tune and it was time to dance. Callum laughed as she pulled him onto the dancefloor. When they began to spin and jump, she loved the way it felt, the silk skirt swirling around her and the beads decorating her hair and horns swung and jingled. It was strange to her, feeling beautiful. Rayla had been sceptical of the white dress, she thought having only one color would be boring, but when the dressmaker described the idea for the swirling patterns of beads, it intrigued her. But she wasn’t prepared for the final result, it was stunning. One color became a glistening rainbow in the right light. It was the most elegant thing she’d ever seen. The first time she tried it on she felt like a fish out of water, an ugly duck, she had been terrified she wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But hours before the wedding, when Ethari placed her mother's hair piece on her head, she shed tears. Tears for her mother, tears for the heirloom, tears of excitement, and tears of overwhelming joy.

She felt like she was floating. Callum watched her dance with a certain look in his eye. It wasn't the _licentious prince_ grin. It was a different look of desire, and it stole her breath away. He wanted her, and she wanted him in return. It wasn’t just the dress that made her feel beautiful, but rather the way _he_ looked at her. He saw her in a way no one ever had, and because of that she was able to see herself in a new way. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like, what she as a person would be like, without the way he looked at her. He’d told her countless times that she made his life better by just being in it. It was mutual. 

Rayla spun again and again, and she met his eyes every time her head came around and the entire world melted away. His hand guided her waist, grazing it, and like the turning of a grindstone, sent sparks across her skin. 

When the song finally came to a close, they clung to each other. She held his face in her hands and kissed him and tucked his hair back “I love you, mah sweet darlin’ Callum. Dae you want tae, uhh,” she gestured off the dancefloor with a jerk of her head. He agreed smiling but when she snuck them past the dancing and all the way out of the bustling party, he seemed confused. 

She pulled him just out of sight behind a tree. “I love you so _fuckin’_ much Callum.” She pressed him against the tree and their tongues spoke passion instead of words. She sighed as he ran his hands up her exposed legs. His hands were warm and wanting. The kissing prosperity was seemingly endless. 

When they snuck back a few minutes later, his loving torture knew no bounds. While she danced in a group without him, she completed an acrobatic jump with ease and some of the humans looked very impressed. She was bashful, and she didn’t think much of it, but then Callum from the side of the dance floor got on a table. _Why do all the humans keep jumping on tables?_ she asked herself, frustrated. Then he pointed at her and she muttered, “ _Oh no, not again_.”

 **“THAT’S MY WIFE!”** he yelled it proudly and laughed. She hid her face in her hands, her cheeks were pink, but she smiled. When she looked up, she narrowed her eyes and shot her uncle a glare. Ethari high-foured Callum as he jumped down. Despite her frequent admonishments over the years that he shouldn’t humor Callum’s human follies, he always did it anyways. 

He was too adorable for her to be annoyed with him, not for long anyway. She was too in love with him to feel anything negative about him for long. She pulled him back on the dancefloor after that. The music of the fiddles and drums set a joyful mood. She and Callum took turns dancing with everyone. Rayla even agreed to dance with Soren, once he'd sobered up a bit. She punched him in the arm when the song ended in revenge. She and Ezran laughed their entire dance - he was terrible at it, but they had a great time. Rayla did notice Ezran dance with Ellis multiple times, she and bait were his only other partners. Amaya and Janai participated in just one circle dance. It was cute seeing them blush through the steps trying to loosen up. Aanya attempted some of the lifts and jumps and did well, the young queen was always impressing her. Ethari and she danced expertly together. This is what the rest of her life was going to feel like and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

For a couple more hours, she and Callum ate, danced, toasted, and laughed with their family and friends. The kissing prosperity was prosperous. 

Callum held her face and kissed her, “You are my wife,” he whispered. She laughed, giving him a playful shove. It was time to take her sweet revenge. She walked away from him, climbed on top of a table, and yelled into the crowd, pointing for everyone to see and hear, **“THAT’S MAH HUSBAND!”**

It was the happiest night of Rayla’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to take a minute to thank my good friend oxygenforthewicked. As stated above, this was the original story, so when I went through to edit and add I wanted things to be perfect. She was my sounding board and my grammar checker. If you like Dragon Age then check her out. <3  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxygenforthewicked
> 
> This is your pre-wedding night cliffhanger, fear not the next chapter will be loooooong and at least 75% smut. Prepare yourself.... also 25% fluff.
> 
> AAAAAAND RAYLA'S DRESS!  
> https://chloe-clegane.tumblr.com/post/611642299421769728/raylas-wedding-dress-my-devotion-and-mah
> 
> Lastly, and this is a fun one. I work in Seattle adjacent to healthcare providers. The Carona Virus panic is super over the top and people are getting quarantined. The plan is to keep my laptop on me at all times ;) If I die of plague before chapter 7 then I'm very sorry. But also if I'm quarantined I can write more so... eh lol


	7. Her Power Makes Him Safe and Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding night, er... morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome and enjoy ;)

He looked so charming that night. Rayla had really come to love his new hair cut and thought the circlet was pretty cute, too. She’d never really liked how the layered Katolian clothing hid his figure from her, and so she adored the way he looked in his tight-fitting red jacket. She loved his wedding ensemble, but right now, she wanted it off of him. She wanted it torn off and on the floor. She wanted to free his beautiful body and touch every part of it. 

The sun would be rising soon and the guests had already begun to disperse. Hand in hand, they slipped away. With wine flushed cheeks, she and Callum giggled as they stopped every few feet to kiss and grope at each other.

“You know, we don’t have to sneak around anymore,” he spoke softly as he kissed her neck and jaw. 

She laughed. “I suppose ye’re right.” She tilted her head and sighed. “But you know, even married it’s probably still taboo tae be ruttin’ out in the streets.” She smirked.

Callum had to stop kissing her neck to rest his forehead on her shoulder and laugh, he had to take a moment. He nodded in agreement, shrugging at the correctness of her statement. She took his wrist and they kept walking. 

“You know? I think all the sneaking the last few years, it’s been a very noble use of your assassin skills,” he chuckled. “In my very  _ unbiased _ opinion, I think the things you do to me are  _ much _ more virtuous than killing people.” 

He was the one to get her this time, she didn't giggle, she laughed, loudly. “ _ Oh really _ ? Are ye sure  _ virtuous _ is the right word for when yer pecker is in mah mouth?” He snort-laughed and she was the cause.  _ Victory _ . With an impish eyebrow raised she failed to keep a straight face. He kissed her on the mouth with a smile still on his face, barely able to compose himself.

“I think you could make an argument either way, I find it very virtuous. But you know what?” He quickly scooped her up in his arms, literally  _ ‘bridal style’ _ as the humans call it. 

“Callum!?” she giggled. 

“You’re my wife now,” he said proudly. “We just got married.” He began carrying her down the path. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed happily into his chest. 

“ _ I know!  _ ye’ve been tellin’ me all night. Yer point is?” She was smirking at him again. 

He looked her dead in the eyes, grinning wickedly. “It means that  _ privately _ I get to make love to you and I don’t care who knows it. No one can keep me away from you ever again”.

She kissed him. She liked this. She was his and he was hers, forever. 

  
  


They arrived at the cabin, and Callum fumbled a little with unlatching the door without setting her down. She offered to help, but he refused and regained some of his pride when he finally kicked it open. The room had been prepared for them, the same ribbons that hung above their heads at the reception were decorating the room. She saw a bouquet of flowers on the bed, two glasses, and another bottle of honey wine on the side table. Unlit candles were strewn about a bit haphazardly.

He carefully set her on the bed and she rolled over to grab the flowers and sighed happily as she smelled them. While she was distracted he performed a quick spell, a dancing flame jumped from candle to candle lighting up the room.

“Oooh, that’s ah nice touch smooth guy,” she said, her tone flirty. 

“Hey, all I can do is my best to impress the girl of my dreams,” he smiled and crawled on top of her.

They fell into passion, rolling, groping, kissing, and moaning. He ran his hands up the slit skirt of her dress and set her skin on fire, teasing at her warm center, pulling at her underwear. She finally got that jacket off of him and raked her nails lightly down his back. She stood up and unhooked the hairpiece while he had to undo the seemingly endless buttons down the back of her dress. When the heavy weight of the beaded fabric fell to the floor, she turned back to him naked and ready to be touched. He took a moment to gap like a fish before grabbing her face and crushing her lips. Devouring her. 

When she pulled away, she dragged her kisses down. She dropped to her knees and worked the buckle of his pants. His cock was rock hard as she freed it from confinement. She grabbed his ass and took him into her mouth. “Oh Rayla, oh,” he sighed, instinctually his hands found her horns and braced himself. She worked him with her mouth and tongue while he guided the speed. 

“Ah ah wait…” He gently pulled her back by her horns and released them. “I need to be inside you Rayla.” 

She bit her lip and nodded as he pulled her to her feet. She took his hands and l laid herself down gently guiding him on top of her. 

“I want you tae make love tae me, husband,” she said. He smiled when she used his new title and so did she. Kissing her again, he spread her legs and stroked her thighs. He was doing his favorite activity, kissing and licking her in the most intimate way. Sometimes he did it softly, sometimes roughly, this time it was urgently, desperately. As though he couldn’t get enough of her. 

She was moaning his name and whimpering. “Callum, hmmmm ah” Her vision was starting to go hazy. She could feel the familiar sensation of the winding spring getting ready to release and then she was spinning. His nails dug into her arse and kept her in place and she came, quivering and mewling. 

Before she could fully recover, he was lining himself up with her. He muttered into her ear “I meant my vows. I’m devoted to you, and only you.” He slid himself inside her, and she gasped. “Rayla, I’m going to cherish you,” he groaned into her ear. He thrust and they both moaned. He grabbed her hand, held it to the bed and squeezed it gently, rubbing with his thumb. 

He’d never been so erotic, his words alone making her shiver. He opened his closed eyes and looked at her with so much want, his beautiful green eyes softening. 

“I love you Callum.” She craned her neck and he lowered his head to kiss her. He started picking up at a regular pace. 

He buried his face in her neck and sighed his response. “I love you too”.

He rolled his hips, and each thrust hit her at a luscious angle. His volume rose as his pleasure started to build. He spoke his words desperately “I want to do it together, I want to cum together.” 

She looked at him, wide-eyed.  _ Where did her sweet little dweeb go? _ She wasn’t complaining by any means. She arched her back as he shifted himself to touch her little bundle of nerves. His weight was on her but she didn’t mind. 

She panted. “Together, mmmhmmm,” nodding in agreement or understanding, both, she figured. 

She took over touching herself and he shifted back and was able to hit that perfect angle again. 

“Together” he panted again, a smile on his sweating face. 

“OH, Callum I’m so close” she grimaced and he kissed her. Her mind was filled with pure joy and pleasure. 

“Me too,” he groaned drawing out the words. 

She felt him twitch inside her, felt the warmth spill inside her and she came. The endorphins flooded her brain and she screamed. 

She didn’t realize she was capable of being that loud. She didn’t give a fuck who heard. She kept panting and moaning and gasping. Dug her nails into his back. He wasn’t very quiet either as he cried her name. _Callum’s right_ she thought, **_no one_** _can tell them they can’t be together_. Not anymore.

When he was coherent enough to move, he kissed her and then flopped to his back beside her gasping for air like he’d just tried to sprint his way up the storm spire steps. She supposed this was comparable. She wasn’t fairing much better, wiggling out the last little aftershocks. 

“The fuck was that Callum?” She laughed as she panted. 

“Oh uh.” Pant. “probably the most mind blowing orgasm I’ve ever had. Maybe the greatest moment of my life.” Breath. “Have you peaked?” 

She laughed and rolled into his side pecking absent minded kisses onto his chest. “Nah, not possible. I plan on doin’ this plenty more fer the rest of my life so if anythin’ it’s a plateau.” She nuzzled him. “This would be an acceptable plateau.” 

He pulled her in and kissed her forehead. He was still catching his breath. She may have broken him. 

“Okay, now can you please get me some water? I think I might actually die,” he whined. 

She rolled off the bed, laughing, and poured a cup from the pitcher on the dresser. She felt a shift and ended up waddling back with her hands between her legs. “How big’o a load did ye have in there, ugggh”. Two snort laughs in one night, she was on a roll. 

“It’s a waxing crescent, you’re fine.” 

“Yeah, yeah, take yer stupid water.” She couldn't help laughing as she went to clean herself up. 

  
  


\-------------------

  
  


As they laid intertwined in the afterglow, Callum stroked her hair and for the countless time that day, he looked at her and knew he was falling even more in love with her. She was telling him about the things she loved about their wedding: making fun of royalty with Ez, food, her favorite dances. Cute, wonderful things like that. 

“Rayla?” 

“Hmm?” She looked up at him and smiled. The smile was happy and pure. Her’s. 

“I want to give you a wonderful life,” he rubbed his thumb on her cheek. “The best life.”

She smiled at him “I think yer already doin’ it. I chose you Callum, ye’re the love of mah life and yer goin’tae be getin’ mah best too.”

He just smiled and kissed her. 

She sighed and laid her head on her chest for a few beats more.

“What do we do next?” She spoke the question softly, and he had no idea what she meant.    
“I mean it’s been long enough. You could crawl on top of me for round two.” 

She swatted him playfully. “I’m not saying no to that but it’s not what I meant. If we end the war, stop Aaravos and dark magic. When it’s all over… What's next?”

He took a moment to think, collect his own thoughts, “Well I mean, I guess I’ll just be a mage, people have started calling me an Archmage… it’s kind of weird.”

“And  _ that’s _ the thing Callum, yer a prince with an excitin’ magic destiny or somethin’. I’m a fighter, it’s all I’ve ever done or thought I would do. When things are done I’ll just be… what?”

He smiled at her and teased “Hmmmm well, maybe you could be a baker.” 

“Shut up,” she narrowed her eyes.

He couldn’t help but poke the banther. “Ooh I know. Maybe Villads would take you as a first mate,” he teased her.

“I will throttle you.” 

He kept going. “Hmm. You killed all those succulents the earthblood ambassador gave you so that pairs the list a bit.”    
“Seriously, Callum, don’t be a jerk!” She barked it and he was taken aback, he was hit with guilt. “I don’t really feel like I’m good at anythin’ other than fightin’. Ye’re smart and ye’re an artist. Not to mention yer incredible magic skills that no other hUmAn has ever had.” 

His face softened, he felt like an ass for not realizing she had been serious, vulnerable. “I’m sorry Rayla, love, I didn’t mean to-”

“I know you didn’t” She sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling for a few breaths before giving him an apologetic smile. He returned it and laid on his side beside her, propped on his elbow. 

“You aren’t  _ ‘just’  _ anything. You’re the most spectacular person I’ve ever met. And I know something you’re good at, very good at in fact.” 

She exhaled “What?”

“Dancing. You’re amazing at dancing.” He felt confident about this, she was, like most things, underselling herself and her skills.

She looked at him a little surprised, and then back at the ceiling. He could tell she was rolling the idea around in her mind. He continued. “I loved watching you tonight, you were incredible. Twirling and jumping. I wish I could have kept up with you better.”

She gave him a smile, the one that’s just a little bit smug and confident, content with herself. 

“I guess I am pretty good aren’t I?” She sighed happily. “What a wonderful night we’ve had.” 

“Completely perfect wedding with my completely perfect bride.” She rolled onto her side and kissed him. 

“Callum, it’s true, I love dancin’, but that's just somethin’ I've done since I was a kid. It makes me happy and I’m good at it but that’s all it is.”

“Uuuh Rayla, how is it different from my art?” He counted on his fingers. “One, been doing it since you were little. Two, you’re really  _ really _ good at it. Three, you enjoy it and it makes you happy. Four, and this is a bonus one, I really like when you do it because you smile and you’re happy and it’s impressive and you’re my wife and I get all proud of you and stuff.” 

She laughed at him. “Ok fine, I  _ suuuuppose _ it’s similar. And just because you like watchin’ me doesn’t mean anyone else wants tae. Yer opinion stopped counting the moment we started datin’.” 

“Again, I feel the need to point things out. People complimented and _clapped_ for you tonight. And you taught me, didn’t you? I’m an uncoordinated mess but I still did the ceremony tonight. Because you taught me”.  
Rayla looked thoughtful again, she opened her mouth to try and argue or disagree but had to close it again. 

“Rayla, honey, you don’t have to figure your whole life out right now. I don’t either. The world is crazy and there is so much we don’t know and can’t control. But my opinion, I think you would be a graceful, elegant, breathtaking, inspiring and talented dancer. Oh, another pro, I think it’s all the best parts of the whole assassin thing, fast and back flippy except no one dies.” 

This had Rayla laughing. “Oh, you mean these flippy skills?” She sprang off her back and onto Callum, pinning him to the bed.

He tried to hold a straight face while he nodded. “Yes, actually, I think those might be what I meant.” He pulled weakly at his pinned wrists and sighed. “I’ll never escape you.” 

She never actually held him down, he loved the way she did it though. It made him feel owned by her, not trapped. It was a contradiction. Her power over him made him feel safe and wanted, never afraid. And she always seemed attuned to him, if he pulled away, she released. To be fair, though, he rarely wanted to say no to her sexual attacks. He was too in love and wanted her too badly to even imagine rejecting her. There was no abuse or unkindness, just her dominance and his submission to it. 

She released his wrists and sat straddled him. “How long are you goin’ tae keep starin’ at me like that?” she chuckled.

He just smiled at her “Soren’s right, you are a total badass hottie.” 

“The drunk dolt was also right about me bein’ the best thin’ in yer life too… Also, I’m cooler than zap hands”.

“Oh yes much, much cooler than zap hands,” he agreed and reached up to pull her down by her waist, flush against him he held her close and breathed her in. He covered her in little kisses before running his hands up and down her body. She shuddered. He could feel himself getting hard again, and he thanked his body and the universe for his replenished stamina. The last one had been a real doozy. 

“Sometimes I think yer’re using zap hands but then I realize it’s just I love the way yer hands feel that makes it tingle.” 

“Oooh, now who’s being cheesy?” he said. 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. She sat up a little and he moved his hands to her breasts, lightly circling her nipples with his thumbs. 

She bit her lip. “I want you inside me again Callum,” she breathed. He trailed his hand down between her legs and he could feel she was still wet from their first round. She smiled and ground against him and he signed. 

“And I’m going to give you what you want,” he tried to be seductive, and it seemed to work.

She dove forward onto him, kissing his neck and chest nibbling his ear. It took him half a second to get a full throbbing erection. “Oh I’m very ok with this. Yes please. yup. Oh-” 

She had lowered herself fully and nonchalantly onto his dick. She then started bouncing herself on top of him. Her toned legs made it easy for her to control her speed and depth. He laid there while she went to work, and started to moan. He reached for her breasts again, small and bouncing, he kneaded them gently. She appeared to like it and he smirked. He then moved his hands to her ass and squeezed. His breath was starting to hitch. She was so wet and so warm and her thrusts were controlled and wonderful. He kept groping her and watching her moan. Then, before he knew what he was doing. **_Smack_** _._ He slapped her ass. 

Rayla immediately stopped mid thrust and froze. His stomach dropped. Not even a day into marriage and he just hit his wife. The apology fell out of his mouth is one run-on stream. 

“Oh-I am so sorry Rayla I-I should’ve-I don’t know what I was thinking-my hand just kind of-“

She shut him up with a kiss, he was confused. 

She looked him dead in the eye and said simply, “do it again.”

He blushed and chuckled awkwardly darting his eyes from side to side “uhhhhhh”

She gave a little thrust on top of him. “Do it again,” she asked. Now she was blushing. 

He nervously stuttered. “Are you-ah-are you sure?” 

She just nodded silently in reply and gave another little thrust. He raised his hand behind her and swallowing his nerves he spanked her and she started thrusting her hips again, like a wind-up toy that suddenly sprung back to life. 

“Again,” she moaned. 

He looked at his wife,  _ oh she felt so good _ . He bit back the nerves and replaced them with confidence.  **Smack** . Third time and another hard stop. He was about to apologize but it was her this time that looked mortified. 

She was red-faced and asked “Is this weird? Am ah weird?”

He laughed. This situation has suddenly become absolutely adorable to him. She was serious. She looked so embarrassed and guilty. He smiled up at her and offered his sincere reassurance “No, I don’t think so. Or I guess I do but you’re my weirdo, so it’s fine.” She laughed, but still seemed insecure. He reached up and pulled her down for a kiss, long and tender. 

“I love you Rayla, I think I’d do just about anything to make you happy… spanking you feels like it’s within my comfort zone.” He kissed her again. “It’s okay that I kind of like it too, right?” 

She laughed, small and cute, and nodded before rolling them. 

He yelped when suddenly he was on top and he had to balance himself. 

Callum snickered. She did what she’s done in the past, she was red faced and mute because she wanted something different during sex. For example but not limited to. The first time she wanted him to rub her clit during sex or the first time she wanted to be taken from behind. This seemed to be going in that direction she rolled onto her stomach 

“Slap your ass from behind?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. 

She looked back and nodded, a little relieved. 

This was something he enjoyed greatly. She lifted her ass for him and sighed happily when he slipped inside her warm, wet, wonderful center. He grabbed her and started thrusting. He could go so deep in this position, they were both enjoying that fact. She was already moaning as he thrust into her. 

“Oh Callum, mmmm oh, so deeeeeep” he raised his hand and spanked her, she gasped and laughed. 

“Oh Rayla mmmmm.” He spanked her again and she cried out happily. 

“I’m yers Callum, take me like I’m yers,” she gasped. It was so hot. He started pounding into her.  **Smack.** She was starting to lose it. He could feel walls start to clench around him and he tried to hold back but he cried out with his own orgasm, letting himself go inside her. He slumped forward and pushed her flat on her stomach. He reached his hand around her and rubbed her into her own climax. She shook underneath him and he kissed her back, neck and shoulders, nibbled her ears.

She chuckled as she pulled herself out from underneath him. “We don’ do that very often,” she sighed. “It’s nice.” She was blushing again and he loved her for it. 

“Yeah, usually it’s you pinning me to the bed,” he chuckled. “Fun to turn the tables isn’t it?” 

Seriously, when she was on top she was fearless and dominant. She was so fucking cute like this, shy and sweet. He kissed her again, another long loving kiss. 

  
  


When she came back to the bed, he had already cozied up under the covers. The wedding, the reception, the two exceptional romps. His body was entirely spent. She sat beside him on the bed and stroked his hair and cheek. He relaxed into her touch. The soft motions were lulling him to sleep. He looked at her starry-eyed. She leaned in and kissed him and muttered, “I love you, Callum, mah darlin’,” and the world faded into sleep.

It was the best night and morning of his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little heads up, next chapter will be turning more into the plot and a great deal more angst. Prepare your hearts.
> 
> Oh and if you follow me on tumblr then you already know this, but I got put on Coronavirus quarantine. Good news though is I think my friend is negative because he's already improving which means I wasn't actually exposed. HURRAY! I live to write another day! Waiting on the official green flag.


	8. Aspiro Frigis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Rayla have a home now, a place they can be and belong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ramping plot train is arriving at the station.
> 
> I need to start by saying this chapter is dedicated to someone I love very, very much. I've written this for a reason and that’s to give my friend a voice. Something I’ll get into more in the endnotes. So… warning for sexual assault. I am marking the portion with a ******* at the beginning and end if you want to skip ahead. 
> 
> Please don’t hate me.

After two weeks, Rayla and Callum finally left their private love bubble at the Moon Nexus. They flew on the back of one of Janai’s hot cats she left for them after returning home. The plan being they would take it to Katollis, Amaya would stay an extra week until Callum’s birthday and then ride back to Lux Aurea, back to her girlfriend. It worked out well and it was nice making the trip in just a day.

They were going to Katolis for a reason Rayla had been dreading, and Callum was determined to do anything to get her excited or, at the very least, not grumpy or anxious. There was no way that the elevation ceremony would go as badly as she was catastrophizing. He knew she didn’t like the attention or the pomp, but he knew it wouldn’t be all bad. 

“Things went great at the procession, you had fun, you smiled without faking it and people loved you. _And_ you were adorable with all those flowers.” She crossed her arms and continued to pout. “You’re being stubborn,” he cooed. 

“Flowers are one thin’ Callum, a coronet or what’ever Opeli called it is another.” She turned away from him to look forward as they rode.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder, “I’m excited you’re about to be my princess. My princess-wife, wife-princess, goddess-among-women, warrior- princess-of-moon, Moonshadow-former-assassin-wife-warrior-princess-goddess-of-beauty. My princess-wife-lover-who-is-lovely-and-perfect”. He smiled and kissed her shoulder after each title. 

“Oh shut it!” 

He could feel the roll of her eyes just by holding her and didn’t have to see her face to know she was blushing and smirking. 

“I guess it’s not soooo bad, bein’ yers.” She leaned her head back and rested it on his shoulder. He kissed her cheek and ear and nuzzled into her neck. She hummed her happy little hum. 

“I’ll be yer delicate princess and you’ll have tae rescue me with yer hard sword and _ **take me**_ in mah princess tower. I’ll give you lots of royal babies or somethin’ stupid like that,” She sighed like a damsel. 

“That’s not how I remember the fairy tale but sure, we can do that,” he chuckled and nibbled her ear. “But a lot of royal babies, huh? Where did that come from?”

“Nowhere! Shut up, stupid... I hate you,” she sputtered and wiggled from his grasp but he pulled her back in. 

“You don’t hate me,” he laughed.

“Yeah, I do.” 

“No, you don’t.”

She sighed. “No I don’t.”

“I love you, and it’s just cute to hear you bring it up.” He held her tight. “You already know how I feel about it”. He wanted children with her so badly, he longed for a family. He could already picture beautiful children that would be half her and half him. He had no idea if they’d have horns or moon magic or green eyes or ten toes. But he knew they would be precious and wonderful. As a bonus, he knew he would enjoy making them with her. It sounded romantic, letting loose under a full moon. He smiled into her neck. She hummed again. 

“I wasn’t _bRiNgIn’ it up,_ ” she muttered, “but… I suppose it could be nice… later on… In the future.” She sighed sweetly. Hearing that made him feel warm and hopeful. This was maybe the second time she’d ever said she wanted children. She leaned in and he held her like that, smiling the rest of the ride home. 

  
  


They arrived in the evening, they were tired but incredibly happy to see Ez and the rest. His aunt pulled both him and Rayla into a bone-crushing hug and then signed some very suggestive jokes about all the excessive post-wedding sex they’d been having. He was glad Rayla’s sign language still wasn’t that good yet, knowing her, she may have died of embarrassment and he wasn’t ready to be a widower. 

Soren also had a lewd joke lined up. Rayla kicked him in the shin. Opeli smiled and welcomed them home. Corvus was happy to see them and challenged Rayla to a rematch of the last time they trained together.

After a quick meal, Ezran wanted to show them their new room himself. They were surprised it wasn’t just one. It was a private apartment. It had been one of the larger bedroom suites the castle kept for visiting royalty but it had been furnished and set up to their tastes. It was a definite upgrade from his childhood room conjoined with his brother’s. 

There was a sitting room and a large bedroom. Both had double doors leading onto a generously-sized balcony. It also had a private washroom and another smaller empty bedroom on the other side of the sitting room. It was decently sized and bare but there was a big diamond pained window and the moon shone threw it beautifully. After the conversation on the ride there, Callum couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities of the spare room. _Later on,_ he thought, _in the future_. 

The main room was a great space, he loved the look of the large fireplace with a very comfortable-looking loveseat and two chairs. The July weather was too warm but he could already picture them sitting together in front of that fire in the winter. Curled up cozy under a blanket, cocoa in hand. Or the blanket beneath them while they make love naked on the floor. Callum had to suppress that happy thought for now. The furniture looked like it was all imported from Xadian and in the cooler color pallets that she preferred. Although, he noticed his old desk had been moved in and placed against a window and he smiled. 

As Ezran gave them the tour Rayla walked around with a giant smile plastered on her face. His brother had done this for her. This was more than just a bedroom. This felt like a home, secluded and private for just the two of them. Callum knew It would be her hideaway, where she will go to get away and feel somewhat normal. They’d been so nomadic the last three years, from the time he left that fateful night with her. This would be their home, even if they still aren’t always here, they would have a place just for them.

“Is it ok?” Ezran asked unsure. 

“Are you kiddin’?” Rayla hugged him fiercely and he laughed. 

“Have I told you how happy I am that you’re my sister?” he asked with a grin. 

“Maybe once or twice.” She smirked but then the smile softened “Ez, it’s perfect.” 

Callum came up beside her resting a hand on her waist “Ezran, it’s great,” he said sincerely. “Thanks, buddy.” 

The three of them shared a hug and Bait wiggling into the middle of it.

After that, Ezran and Bait excused themselves and left them to get some much needed sleep. But even exhausted they couldn’t resist breaking in the new bed. She led him to it with a gentle hand and a sweet blushing smile. The full moon could give her power, make her disappear, but any moonlight could make her radiant. As he undressed her in the moonlight and laid her gently down he felt lost in her love. Her hands, her lips the feel of her breath in his ear when she moans that she loves him. He loved her. Soft and tender. 

  
  


In the morning, he could see her through the open doors of the balcony. Spinning on one foot, over and over again, each one more controlled than the last. He quietly watched her, and when her face whipped around he could see how focused she was. She had taken his words to heart. She was doing something that made her happy, even though she downplayed it and rolled her eyes when he caught her or asked her about it. 

Finally, he shifted in the bed and said "good morning". She almost fell, blushed and looked annoyed. 

“Don’ spy on me!” she barked.

“How was that spying? I woke up and looked at you through an open door.” He laughed at how defensive she was.

“I-uh” she had no argument and she knew it. “Fine, you caught me” 

“Come here.” He opened his arms for her and she floated to him. “I love to watch you dance.”

“Yeah but this is practice, havin’ you see this is embarrassin’,” she whined. 

“Eh, you see me screw up all the time. It’s all fair, and besides, that all looked perfect to me.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. “You seem happy” 

“Pshhh It’s not uh big deal, I’m just doin’ some pirouettes is all.” She pulled away and looked anywhere but his eyes.

“All I’m going to say, Rayla, is that I love that you’re thinking about the future. Our future.” He pulled her in and kissed her before her blush intensified and she fleed to freshen up before a team of maids came to torture her into her dress. The same one she wore to the procession. 

“No, wait. Come back,” he cried after her half heartedly before laying back down. He felt the breeze from the open door and watched the sheer curtains on the bed sway serenely.

When he was young, he felt so unsure of himself. He worried he would never be good enough for the life that was expected of him. He was always out of place, his mother was gone and he kept a guarded distance between him and his dad, probably his biggest regret. But right now he felt content. He had his wife, his brother, his aunt, and Soren. He had a place he felt at home. He had a purpose and a skill that made him proud and fulfilled. Even when he was falling out of trees and into mud or accidentally singeing his eyebrows off he got better and he kept learning. He didn’t know what would happen. The thought of Aaravos scared the crap out of him, but he knew he was loved. He knew he was capable of doing great things and he knew that with Rayla he would never feel lost or out of place again. 

  
  


Months ago, they stood in the same spot announcing their engagement, again they smiled and waved. Then they arrived at the moment Rayla was dreading. The part where she knelt and Ezran placed a coronet on her head, careful not to catch it on her horns. Similar to Callum’s, but with the angled ends. He could feel the waves of anxiety that came off of her as they stood. 

“She is now made, Rayla, Princess of Katolis,” Opeli proclaimed. 

He gave her a supportive smile as they both went back to the edge and waved. Again he kissed her and people cheered. But when Callum looked out into the crowd he saw people on the edges, booing. It happened at the procession, too, but this was... more. It looked like they were handing out papers. He felt a pit in his stomach and now he felt as nervous as she was. This was supposed to go well, he thought it would go well 

When things finished, Callum was able to collect the reading material, he and Rayla shared a look. She quickly crumpled hers and threw it in on the ground. Callum clutched his and went on a warpath. 

  
  


He practically kicked the throne room door open. Opeli and Ezran looked like they were finishing something. Soren was sitting in the corner happily polishing his sword. When they saw what was in Callum’s hand they all looked nervous. “What is **_this!?_** **”** his brother looked upset but Opeli spoke first. 

“Prince Callum, we’ve been following things carefully,” Opeli said, trying to project calm. 

“Oh, so you did know about this?” he accused. “Was no one going to tell me that the people in my own home hate me!? He looked at the pamphlet and cleared his throat. “ _The prince has been corrupted by foul magic and elven control_ . _He has become the replacement of the once Lord Viren, who was turned evil by dark magic and influenced by a putrid elf mage to bring turmoil and destruction. If we allow this vile union that defies nature, we threaten to endanger the future of our kingdom. Our once great kingdom of Katolis has been made strong by human excellence for generations is endangered._ ” he stopped and adjusted to the other page of the pamphlet “Now let me skip to this part: _Our prince has been made a slave to a wanton elven temptress, who seduced him to gain access into our royal family.”_

He saw Rayla wince when he read that part. He knew she hadn’t read the whole thing before discarding it. He tried not to growl as he continued “I know some people still don’t like elves, that’s expected, but _**this!?**_ ”

Ezran was trying hard to stay calm, make him calm down. Callum didn’t get mad often, but this had set him off. 

“Callum, we weren’t trying to hide it from you. We just didn’t want to worry you, things have slowly… escalated. The wedding was happening. You were both happy. Opeli, Aunt Amaya, and I all agreed we would wait until after the wedding.”

“OH, so this was a family affair!? Everyone just wanted to keep me in the dark?” he accused. Rayla stood to the side looking at the floor with a sad frown. He was surprised she wasn’t as mad as he was.

Ezran made his voice firm. “I’m standing by what I did! I wanted to give you a wonderful day, not have to worry about ignorant people. Believe me, Callum, I hate that people are saying terrible things about you and Rayla. I didn’t want you to be upset, just not for a little while.” 

Callum thought about the way he had laid in bed that morning. “I’m such an idiot!” Callum growled. “How did I not see this coming? I’m living on a fucking cloud thinking I could have a perfect life. Thinking that two people loving each other could change the world. None of this is going to be easy is it?” 

Rayla took his hand. “Callum, I think they have a point - not knowing didn’t hurt anything. We’ve been so happy, and maybe that’s okay.”

She looked at hir with pleading eyes. Making him wonder if he should just take a breather. “Ugh.” He looked at the stupid pamphlet in his hand. 

Soren crossed his arms and sighed. “After the thing at the procession, I agreed with Ez too. Rayla you said it yourself, you didn’t want to ruin a good day.” 

Callum whipped his head around to look at his wife. Her eyes were wide and she dropped his hands and closed her posture, then she shot Soren a look that could kill. 

“What happened? How much of this did you know?” 

She started apologetically “I didn’ think it was that big’of a deal, we’re used tae elves and humans hatin’ each other” 

“What happened!?” 

“What?” 

“At the procession, what happened?” 

She sighed. “Remember when I disappeared and got the journal? Some arseholes spat at me in the side alley. Soren got in their faces and barely had tae touch his sword before they turned tail. But Callum, the day was wonderful, so I just let it go. And it wasn’ about you, they hated me not you. So I didn' think it mattered.” 

“That matters to me, Rayla. If people are spitting, throwing rocks at you in the streets, calling you a whore. I care! I care about people harming my wife. Saying that what we have isn’t real.” 

Soren tried to intervene. “Callum, she really meant well.”

“Shut up, Soren!” He knew he should calm down, he knew he was being an asshole, but this made him snap. 

Now Rayla’s nostrils flared. “You care about me but what makes you think I need yer protection. I can fight mah own battles! ” 

“Oh, so you’re going to do the thing where you close off because you’re too fucking stubborn,” he shouted and could feet the heat in his face. She just loved to martyr herself. 

She growled.

“Callum! Go cool off!” Ezran shouted at him, fed up. Callum was taken aback, but it turned into defiance. 

“Sure, I’ll go cool off but not around any of you.” 

Rayla's angry face fell, she stepped forward and softly spoke his name. But he just turned around and stormed out. 

Callum flew out to the woods nearby and tossed lightning at a stone cliff until he got careless and hit a tree that quickly set fire. He panicked to put it out. “Good job! Start a forest fire in July, real smart! AGGGGH!” He yelled out to no one. He sat down on a rock and put his head in his hands and took a few deep breaths. He knew he should find a less destructive way to vent his anger… this just worked well. 

He felt ashamed for yelling like that, but it has all just made him so angry, it bothered and it scared him. He took the piece of paper back out of his pocket and felt sad. They called him an idiot, they called her a monster and a harlot. These people knew nothing about them and they had it all wrong. He and Rayla were in love, they were a family and they were happy. He worried that maybe people really aren’t ready for what they had. They all had good intentions and for Rayla especially. He yelled at her for not telling him one stupid thing. He was the one being a dick, making them unhappy. 

He decided to walk most of the way back and it gave him time to think about all of the apologies he needed to make. The first of which he owed to Rayla.

  
  
  


Callum entered their apartment of rooms and set aside his spellbook and sighed. It was wrong of him to blow up like that, it was over the top and out of line. But so were those pamphlets. He found it terrifying to be compared to Viren, he was nothing like him. And Rayla is nothing like Aaravos. He looked out onto the balcony, this was his home, but it felt… cold despite the July heat. 

“Hey, Babe, I missed you.” 

Callum jumped and spun around, he hadn’t realized Rayla was in their apartment. But why should he be surprised, she's a master of stealth, but on the other hand since their wedding ritual he’s felt more in tune with her. So in a way, he was very surprised. It had been a strange sensation. He was surprised again, as she came around the corner. She was wearing one of her silky night dresses and her stockings, the special ones he’d bought her the last time they were here in Katolis. He had to shift his pants a little just at the sight of her, she was so exquisite. But he was confused. 

“Babe?” he chuckled. “Since when do you call me babe?” 

She looked away and shrugged “Oh I don’ know, don’ worry about that. Come here, Callum,” she sounded off, nervous. He wondered if it was because he’d been upset with her. She closed the distance between them and threw herself into his arms and kissed him. 

“Whoa, I uh-I appreciate the gesture but can we talk? About earlier?”

**********************************

She scoffed and swatted his chest playfully. “I told you, don’ worry. We don’ have tae talk about that right now,” she took his hands and pulled him into the other room and towards the bed. Callum wasn’t opposed to where this was heading. In fact, he loved those stockings and that nightgown but most importantly he loves the beautiful creature wearing them. 

“Rayla,” he chuckled, taking both her hands in his. “Seriously though, you don’t have to plan apology sex, or whatever this is.” 

He dropped her hands and held her face, she opened her mouth to speak and he kissed her, long and tender. When he pulled away, she kept her eyes closed for a beat. It was kind of cute like she wasn’t ready to be done. It put a smile on his face, “I will happily make love to you my wonderful wife, but I want to _talk first_. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset earlier. And you-” he kissed her gently on the forehead. “don’t need to be sorry, I do. You didn’t deserve any of that.” 

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss and it felt strange. The energy was different and couldn’t put his finger on it, sporadic. 

She pulled away and laughed. “Well fine, I guess I’m not sorry then. See, everythin’s fine we both agree it’s oh-kaaay. Now come here.” She shoved him back onto the bed. She wasn’t laughing when she pushed him, she wasn’t...

“Rayla, love, can we just talk? I mean it. This whole thing has me-“ he tried to sit up but she jumped on him kissing and pulling at his clothes. 

“Don’ you want me Callum?” she muttered against his skin.” He did want her, he didn’t want to reject her, he didn’t want to make her feel bad. Worrying about becoming a public enemy in his own home wasn’t really putting him in the mood. Then he shuddered as she opened his pants and in two quick strokes had him hard. It felt wonderful, Callum thought maybe he just needed to relax. 

“Yeah, I always want you,” He took a breath and smiled, hoping it didn’t look as forced as it felt. He couldn’t help the hum in his chest as she stroked him. He started running his hands up and down her thighs. Relax, just relax, she wasn’t making him relaxed. “Rayla, you can slow down, we have all afternoon. How-how about I to take care of you first-” she cut him off.

“It's fine, I just want you now. Relax.” 

Relax, why couldn’t he just relax. She wasn’t engaging him, it felt like she was doing things to him. She was lining herself up.

“I love you but can we stop-“ he shifted to try and rise but she put her hands on his chest and slid herself down. He shuddered.

“Oh Callum, I love you too,” she moaned, but it wasn’t her usual low humming moan, it was higher pitched.

He felt unsure and wondered why he couldn’t just get in the mood. This is his wife, she loved him and she loved her, “I guess we can talk after…” he said weakly. She smiled at him and kept riding him. Why didn’t he feel loved, he wondered? 

He reached for her face to pull her down, kiss her, take over. But she pushed his hand away and held herself upright. She seemed like she was already winded. That was strange. Why does this feel so strange? 

She was moaning on top of him and while Callum couldn't deny his own pleasure it didn’t feel right. He didn’t want to be doing this.

“Stop, Rayla lets stop” he tried to get up again and she shifted her weight onto his chest again. 

“Callum let me do this, let me love you”. She cooed at him. This didn’t feel like she loved him. Why wasn’t she listening to him? He moaned despite himself.

“See Callum it’s fine, It feels good” She was panting.

It wasn’t fine, he realized there were tears running down his face. He pushed her shoulder and she shifted her weight on him again “Rayla please, this isn’t ok”.

She put her hand over his mouth, nearly all her weight was on his face. She was keeping an erratic pace. She’s never put a hand on his mouth before, she’s never made him feel like this before. He let out a muffled moan underneath her hand. He didn’t like this, it felt good so why didn’t it feel right. 

He didn’t want to shove her or hurt her, but she wouldn't listen. He slapped at her arms, pushing them off his face “Stop!”

“Callum don’ be like this” Then they were swiping at each other, grabbing at each other's wrists. 

He was crying “Stop!” her hands were on his face and swatting him trying to keep control of him. 

***************************************

And then he heard her voice, but she wasn’t speaking, it was coming from the other room. “Callum are you ok, who are you wi-Callum?“ She sounded worried. Then he heard Rayla’s voice scream his name.

He looked up and saw his wife in the doorway. Now, there was no hesitation. He shoved the Rayla on top of him onto the floor as hard as he could.

His eyes were wide and his heartbeat was in his ears as he shook, tears running down his cheeks. He looked between the two of them. 

The Rayla in the door wore a look of horror and it transformed into anger. “Wha-Who the fuck are you?” Her voice was fierce, but her eyes were still wide and disturbed. 

The Rayla on the floor was angry, defensive. “Who am? Who are you!?” Then she looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Callum, this is obviously a trick. Do something!”

Things felt like they were in slow motion. 

The one in the door slowly drew her blades. The one on the ground stood and approached him.

**“Aspiro frigis!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is ok. The cliffhanger was my editor's fault, blame my editor, she made me do it. 
> 
> This story is about loving unconditionally, trust, devotion, and support…. so please don’t hate me. But I want to be very serious. 
> 
> About a year and a half ago someone I love was assaulted at a party. It destroyed relationships with other people including rejection from one of his parents. Any sexual assaults is vile and terrible, zero are justifiable or “not that bad” or “doesn't really count as rape”. Every scenario comes with different trauma and aftermath. Victims get blamed downplayed accused. I’m so proud of anyone who can be open and vulnerable about their trauma. It starts conversations for support and makes people feel less alone. Not everyone has found that voice. The way my friend was treated (and the crime in general) has infuriated me, it is bitter and sticks with me. The reason his story ended up the way it did, being kicked out of his home, ending a 4-year relationship and being drowned in guilt was because he was a man who was raped by a woman. He “cheated” on his girlfriend, and one parent was disgusted he would do that to his girlfriend and needed him to leave home. And now internally he still feels all the guilt and can hardly think of it as anything but his fault (but he’s working on it with therapy and the like… which I’m so proud of him for doing). When he told me originally what happened I hate that I had to be the one who looked at him and said “that was rape, you didn’t do anything wrong. She was in the wrong. You were barely conscious, you didn’t give consent or have a choice. It was rape”. He hated himself so much for what happened, felt all the blame and took the personal social consequences and he planned out his suicide, every detail. I’m crying writing this now because I’m so glad he didn’t, that he asked for help. (So please, to whoever’s reading this and needs to hear it, please reach out, use the crisis line or a friend or message me because I will gladly listen and coach you through a DBT skill. You are wanted.)  
> When I was expanding this story and had this idea I hated myself. At first, I felt like it was too much, I thought it wasn’t something that should be talked about… then I thought to FUCK THAT. I had started writing and test reading, thinking about it. Then I spoke with my friend, he was really emotional but wanted me to move forward with the idea, that even if I’m not telling his specific story, it still makes him feel like he has a little bit louder voice. He wants people to talk about this. So that the next guy who goes through something like this doesn’t have to be told it wasn’t his fault, that his body doesn’t give consent, he does. Hopefully, someone will be able to blame or hate themselves a little less. Men can be raped and the way their bodies react doesn’t mean they want it or asked for it. They aren’t cheating or “scoring” or any other type of toxic masculinity victory that they should feel proud of.  
> He isn’t sure if he’ll be able to read the scene, not yet anyway. Which I told him is ok. He and I both hope it gives people(not just guys) a little bit of a voice. This story is about love, healing and stripping away shame.  
> To my friend, I love you so very much, I’m so happy you’re here and I get to tell you that and I’m so proud of you for facing not just this, but everything else you’re dealing with.
> 
> Also please Claudia fans, please don’t hate me for this. I see Claudia as an abused tragic character and I love her and I’m leaning into that. Please keep reading *Cries*.


	9. Delusions of a Dark Mage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the attack, it's hard to say what to do, or how to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming back… 
> 
> Usually, I shoot for a 7-14 day publishing schedule. I AM SO SORRY. It was on a cliff hanger too. This has been weird, at first research was a bit emotional. Then I became an extrovert in self-isolation. I’m still working from home so that's keeping me decently sane. But anxiety and panic attacks have gotten in the way AND I’m a perfectionist. I want so badly to get this story right. Do the characters and the subject matter justice. So all this to say, my process has been a bit slow. OH and I got super overwhelmed with how much was in the chapter, then I counted the pages and was like…. Fuck… it was twice my usual length. So it got cut in half and 20lb fell off my shoulders haha. The good news is the next chapter is right around the corner. 
> 
> Oh and, my friend says hi and that he appreciates the nice things people said in the comments. <3
> 
> No major warnings in this chapter other than the direct aftermath of the last chapter, panic attack/upset and some violence. My advice is that you check in with yourself and how you're doing today, and if they answer is not great, go do some self-care and come back later. <3

She had heard him shout from outside the door, at first she wondered if he was angry, but at who? No, this was something different. She swung the door open and scanned their sitting room “Callum are you ok? Who are you wi-“, she heard a tussle. “Callum!?” her stomach dropped, and she crossed the room in two sprinting strides. What she found fixed her to the spot and made her sick. “Callum!” she cried in horror. There was another woman on top of him and Rayla’s heart clenched. 

But when the woman turned, Rayla met her own purple eyes and her stomach dropped impossibly lower. Her brain was struggling to catch up with her eyes. This was an imposter and it was wearing her clothing, her stockings, it was wearing her face and seducing her husband. In the distraction, Callum pushed the thing forcefully onto the floor.

“Wha-Who the fuck are you?” Rayla growled. 

“Who am I? Who are you!?” _It_ was indignant. The doppelganger looked up at her husband and tried to spur him. “Callum, this is obviously a trick you need tae do somethin’!” It was defenseless. Rayla drew her blades. Whatever this was, it would rue the day it came here and touched her husband. Clearly distressed, it clambered to its feet and moved towards him. Rayla spun her blades, rearing up to strike when, in a flash, Callum caught the thing in a blast of ice. 

“CALLUM! What have you done!? _She’s_ the imposter,” the thing shrieked frantically. “Listen tae me, you have tae stop her!”. 

Rayla stood there and stared at it for about a full minute. She holstered her blades and circled it, watching her own body thrash against the ice. It was unsettling, fascinating, and oddly disgusting. 

“Rayla?” Callum spoke her name in a relieved sob. It knocked her straight out of her reverie and for the first time since she entered the room, she actually looked at him. He was white as the sheets on the bed and tears streaked his face. The thing in the ice tried to keep his attention but he ignored it. Rayla rushed to him, but when she lept beside him onto the bed, he flinched and rolled away when she reached out to hold him. Her eyes widened with worry that the thing had injured him, she worried he doubted her identity. He caught his breath as he buttoned and adjusted his pants, sitting up. As soon as he was upright, she couldn’t help herself and frantically began looking him over for injuries. When she touched his face, he flinched away again and she withdrew her hands.

“I’m ok,” he muttered. He didn’t look okay, not even a little.

Rayla took a breath and set aside her worry, she needed to do what’s necessary. She needed to figure out what to do about the intruder and she needed to protect him. Rayla felt like a wolf as she began to circle the abomination. She didn’t allow herself to flinch or show any hesitation as her own face reflected back at her. It was an unsettling copy. She searched for differences and at first, struggled to find any - but then they seemed to all come into focus. They were subtle differences. There were missing markings and scars, in fact, the thing seemed free of any blemishes. This was an illusion created by someone who’d never seen her undressed, she thought with a bit of humor. Finally, she stopped and yanked the tacky choker necklace off of the thing. When the clasp snapped, a dead moon moth appeared in her hand and she dropped it, disgusted - then she looked up.

The horns phased away and black began streaking into the lengthening white hair. Another finger appeared and grey veins surfaced around her eyes. 

“Claudia.” Rayla spat venom. “You crazy-wuh-why are you…? Shite.” The gravity of her presence hit. “Where’s yer Dad? Aaravos?” she demanded. 

“I’m not telling you anything, _elf,_ ” Claudia spat. 

Rayla glared at her while her mind raced, figuring out her next move. “ **_Shite._ ** Callum. Keep her frozen. I’m goin’tae find Soren.” 

He replied with a nod and an “uh-huh.” He was listless. 

Before she went out the door, Rayla took one look back at him. He was shaky and upset. She wanted to hold him, but she needed to keep everyone safe, she needed to alert the guards, and she needed the witch in chains. 

Rayla began running down the hall yelling for guards to find Soren. As she gave orders, she thought of the way Callum looked. “No one is tae enter that room. Guard the door but **_do not_ ** enter!” 

“Yes, Princess.” Her nose scrunched at the sound of the title.

She practically sprinted until she gripped the railing above the training yard and yelled at her friend below. 

“Soren, you need tae come with me, **NOW**!” 

Confusion spread across his laughing face, but when he saw her, his expression turned to focus. He sprinted up the stairs and followed behind her. She felt it spoke to the trust between them, he didn’t hesitate, he knew when she was serious.

“Rayla what is it!? Where are we going?” he called to her. 

She felt her heart squeeze, it wasn’t just the running that made her chest burn. She just looked at him sadly, anxiously. 

“Rayla, seriously? If I have to go stab something, it would be nice to know what it is first,” he huffed.

“Claudia, in our room,” was all she could manage.

His eyes went wide, pupils dilating. He pointed and yelled to the nearest guards. “Put the castle on lockdown, locate the king. Protecting him is the number one priority! **GO!** ” They didn’t speak the rest of the way back. 

Soren kicked the door open, Claudia could be heard pleading in the other room. “You’ve loved me since we were little, we’re _supposed_ to be together.” 

“Shut up!” Callum was yelling. 

“I know deep down you still love me,” she cooed. 

“ **SHUT UP!** ” he screamed. 

Rayla entered the bedroom and found him holding his knees to his chest, running his fingers through his hair. She had made a mistake leaving him alone with her. 

Soren rushed in behind her like a battering ram, bumping into Rayla and yelling, “CLAUDIA! WHERE’S DAD!? WHAT ARE YOU!?-” he yelped and covered his eyes. 

In her struggle against the ice, the purple nightgown's flimsy strap had slipped off his sister's shoulder exposing one of her breasts. He gestured for Rayla to fix it. 

She groaned, and rolled her eyes, glaring as she yanked it back into place. 

“Don’t touch me!” Claudia shrieked.

Rayla responded by backhanded her across the face.“How _dare_ _you_ touch _him!_ Oh! By the way I hope you felt how much better mah arm is feelin’? I can show you again if you like?” 

“Rayla, stop.” Soren gently bid. 

The witch blew the hair out of her face and scowled petulantly. Rayla took half a step back and looked at Soren's eyes, she crossed her arms and relented. 

He was apologetic, “I know she deserves it, but let's save it for the interrogation… or whatever”. This was hard for him to watch. To Rayla, she was just a deserving recipient of her rage. But, dark magic aside, Claudia was still his little sister.

“SOREN! Get me out of here!” she growled. “You're better than this. You don’t have to be what dad says you are. I’ll forgive you, _we’ll_ forgive you. But first, you have to _help_ me, help our _family_.” 

She was manipulating him.

Rayla backhanded her again and she quieted. It was a hard hit. Claudia’s lip was split and started bleeding. Rayla hadn’t held back. Whether the manipulation was purposeful or just part of her unhinged reality, she wasn’t sure. What she was sure of was that she wasn’t going to let that _bitch_ talk to Soren like that. 

Soren looked at Rayla with reluctant, sad _thanks_ and then bolstered his tone. “Cut the crap, Claudia. Where’s dad and the bug pal?” 

“I told Callum they **_aren’t here_ **. I came alone.” she groaned, annoyed. “Dad would have stopped me if I told him what I was doing”.

“Then why, Claudia? Why are you here?” he demanded.

She ignored her brother. “Callum, the Moon Nexus was supposed to be _our_ place. When I heard you got married there, I knew some part of you was sending me a message. I heard it, Callum, _I heard it._ You didn’t want to be with her, not really. The Nexus was supposed to be _our_ moment and it still can be-”

Rayla hit her again. She enjoyed the sound it made. She was dumbfounded at the level of Claudia’s fantasy. The Nexus was the place he had rejected Claudia, she betrayed him and broke his heart there. 

“ _R_ _ayla!_ ” Soren scolded. 

She turned back to him furious “I’ll stop _hittin’_ her when she starts _stayin’ on topic!_ ” Claudia lulled her head a little and turned to Callum. “DON’T EVEN LOOK AT HIM!” Rayla screamed and grabbed her face, raising her hand for another strike, but froze when she heard her husband gasping for air. 

His chest was heaving like he was struggling to breathe. Slowly, she lowered her hand as shame gripped her. She was so angry that she had neglected him. Rayla looked between him and Claudia. The witch had caused this. The fury returned, and she began to raise her hand again when Callum threw up. Rayla’s hesitance was gone and she was holding him, rocking him, whispering for him to breathe, whispering she loved him, kissing him on the top of his head. Callum was prone to the occasional panic attack, but not like this. She felt guilty and terrified, and she was helpless to fix this. 

Soren spoke her fear aloud. “What did you do? Did you poison him!?” he accused his sister. 

“ **NO!** I came here **_for him_** , why would I do that? We’re _supposed_ to be together,” she was indignant then drifted into a dreamy tone. “Callum’s special, he’s connected to five of the arcanums. The only one left is the stars, and Aaravos wants to teach him. With all that power combined, Soren, we can change the world. That’s why I need him to come with me.” 

Rayla knew that was bullshit. Aaravos didn’t want to teach Callum, he probably wanted to scoop his brains out with a fancy spoon and eat them. Claudia’s raving continued. 

“I’ve controlled life and death, I’m the strongest dark mage that’s ever lived and that’s why Callum and I deserve to be together. When we end all these wars, we can make the world right again. We’ll all be a family again, we could even find Mom. Come with me and everything will be okay.”

“Is that really the plan?” Soren looked shocked, Rayla wondered if he believed her. Soren wasn’t an idiot, but around his family, their poison pulled him down and she knew every putdown and criticism seeped into his heart and mind. It made him doubt himself and tore down his resolve.

“Yes, Soren, with all our power combined we’re going to do great things, Aaravos, Callum, Dad and I, we can bring life and prosperity to humanity. 

“How is Aaravos going to combine power? What does that even mean? Is this why mages are going missing?” Soren pushed,

“The elven mages and the dragons are arrogant and selfish. They’d watch us suffer before sharing anything with humanity. They think they’re better than us. Not like Aaravos. He sees our ingenuity and determination. Soren, we can leave together, right now. But first, I need to kill **_her_**.” She grinned maliciously at Rayla, who held Callum closer and returned the hatred tenfold. 

She used to have pity for Claudia, even after their last encounter, she was broken by Viren - just as Soren had been. The difference was Soren got away and Claudia stayed wrapped up in the lies and manipulation. Rayla could no longer locate her empathy. If she hadn’t been holding Callum, she would hit the bitch again.

Callum was starting to breathe normally again and softened in Rayla’s arms. “I’m here mah darlin’,” He nodded against her chest and she stroked his hair. 

“Claudia, I’m not going anywhere with you,” Soren was firm but his eyes were sad and pained. 

“I love you Sor-bear, I just want our family to be together.” 

Her friend's posture closed, he looked anywhere but Claudia’s face. Her lip curled “You keep betraying your family, you refuse to listen, or maybe you’re just _too dumb_ to understand.” Now her manipulation was obvious. 

He tried to brush it off, continue the interrogation, but his voice was meek. “Why are the mages going missing?”

Her tone became cruel. “ _I’m_ not dumb _Soren_ , and if you’re not coming with me _willingly_ I’m not going to keep telling you our plan.” She stopped to click her tongue “Dad will be so disappointed when he sees you - when I make you come back with me.” 

Soren wasn’t looking at her. Claudia was just being a cunt now, a delusional cunt. They had her in ice, she was unarmed, and Rayla knew for a fact that nightgown didn’t have any pockets, so unless she was smuggling a jar of spiders up her ass she wasn’t going anywhere. 

Rayla was about to start throwing things at the twat before Amaya entered the room with chains in hand. Her eyes went wide when she saw the state of the room. It clearly wasn’t the kind of situation she’d expected. Worry crossed her face when she looked at Callum, but she gave Rayla a look and a nod that said _good, you’ve got him_. Rayla nodded back. It was also clear to see Soren was a bit… _emotionally compromised._ So the general took control. “Oh, oh-my,” Kazi began interpreting with a flustered face. “Let's get this, crazy uh... lady in chains. We can pick up the questioning in a safer location.” 

Rayla recognized the signs “cunt bitch.” After 3 years of interpreting for Amaya, she was surprised Kazi still got flustered about the swears.

  
  


Over the next few minutes, they cracked the ice, shackled Claudia, and marched her to the dungeons. Rayla held Callum the whole time. He had gone quiet, she didn’t know what to do so she kept holding him. It seemed like he didn’t know what to do either, or he needed her to hold him. They stayed there together for a long while after everyone else had left. 

Callum was the one who broke the silence. “I want to-” he pulled away and looked around the room a little disoriented. “My mouth tastes terrible, I need water,” he muttered.

Rayla scrambled, he had thrown up, of course he needed water. She cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner. 

While Rayla filled a glass, he met her out in the sitting room. 

“I didn't want to be in there,” he said it as if he needed to explain himself. Rayla mentally kicked herself again, of course he didn’t want to be in there, why did she leave him there alone, **_again_ **. After every sip, he looked back at the floor. 

“Callum? I...” She had no idea what to do or what to say. Usually, she could guess his thoughts but now she drew a blank. She stood there with crossed arms anxiously waiting for him to make eye contact so she could get some semblance of what to do. She knew him well enough to take care of him or at least she thought she did. “Callum what do you need?” he just shrugged. She desperately wanted him to look at her. She wondered if he thought she was mad. Was it shame that he was feeling and was that why he couldn’t make eye contact? She tried to comfort him, “I’m not mad at you. Callum, that wasn’t yer fault. I know you would never be unfaithful.” she went to kiss him and he flinched. Fresh tears ran down his cheeks and Rayla recoiled, shocked and confused. She wanted to make it better but had somehow just made it worse. 

He mumbled, “I’m sorry,” she was about to insist he didn’t need to be when there was a knock at the door. 

“I’ll get it… uhhh yer not lookin’ so good, go sit.” she waved him over to the couch. He just nodded. 

It was two maids with buckets and clean sheets. Soren or Amaya must have alerted them about the mess. Rayla looked over her shoulder at Callum, he had slumped into a chair and he looked at the door wearily. 

“I’ll take it all, Prince Callum isn’t feelin’ well and I will see tae mah husband alone.'' The two maids tried to protest but she faked some royalness. She negotiated a trade, the soiled sheets for the buckets and some privacy. Before leaving one of the maids bowed and the other just looked her over until the first elbowed her and she followed suit unenthusiastically.

They excused themselves, “Very good your Highness,” and Rayla grimaced. On top of everything else that day, it was good to know that not all the castle staff were excited to see her. The girl hadn’t outright glared or looked afraid but she wasn’t smiling either. Rayla thought about that stupid pamphlet again and couldn’t help but wonder if they thought she was a whore. Did they think she could control minds? Will they think she’s sending them away for some nefa-rious reason? That she’s manipulating their sweet impressionable prince? Maybe. Or will they think she’s a loving wife who’s trying to protect and take good care of him? She couldn’t help but doubt it.

She leaned back on the closed door and exhaled. He was still sitting in the chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. “Callum?” he didn’t reply, she left the buckets behind and took a few steps closer, “Callum?” he still didn’t acknowledge her. She closed the distance and knelt on the floor in front of him. “Callum? Darlin’?” He jumped and frowned at her. ”Yer goin’ tae scare _me_ if you keep jumpin’ like that” her attempt to lighten the mood fell completely flat, but her delivery hadn’t been very convincing. Rayla hated this feeling, his nervous standoffishness was unsettling.

“It’s ok,” he muttered to the floor. 

She sat there for a while waiting for more from him but nothing came. “Maybe I should go clean up the mess.” another pause. “You could go do the same, a relaxing bath could do you good. How about I go draw it fer you”

He nodded and forced a smile and a brief glance. “Yeah, that’s-that sounds really nice.” She cupped his cheek but he hesitantly pulled the hand away “I-I’m gonna go do that.”

“I can go-“ she tried to volunteer but he cut her off.

“It’s ok, I can do it myself” he sounded exhausted.

“Oh…” Rayla was again unsure how to respond to his rejection. She stayed there on her knees and watched him walk away.

  
  


Rayla’s nerves were showing themselves in every aggressive stroke of the scrub brush. Her thoughts and emotions were stumbling around her brain like a newborn moonstrider. She tried to comprehend it all. Claudia seduced her husband. The bitch was obsessed with him. Callum was so disgusted, it made him physically ill. Now he’s avoiding her like he’s ashamed but she told him she isn’t mad so why is he acting like this? He must assume she’s mad but how could she be mad? He wasn’t philandering, he was tricked. She isn’t mad - the handle snapped from the scrub brush and she lurched forward, off balance. She _was_ mad, she was _very_ mad, but she wasn’t mad at him. 

When she finished assailing the floors into submissive dryness, she chucked the rag, it overshot the bucket and landed partway under the bed. Rayla glowered. She hadn’t worked out her anger, she had only lathered it like the soap she’d used on the floor. She muttered a few curses and reached for the rag. As she tossed it into the bucket, this time successfully, something caught her eye. She grabbed the strap and yanked it out from it’s hiding place. It was Claudia’s bag and spellbook. Rayla immediately turned it out and an abundance of glass jars and leather pouches rolled out onto the floor. It was disgusting, a jar of eyes, a pouch of ashes, a unicorn horn and a dead adoraburr who’s pink fluff was turning grey, just to name a few. It was sad and foul. She pushed it all aside and opened the book. Rayla had no idea what most of it meant but she cringed at the diagrams and notes she skimmed. She considered showing Callum but with the state he was in, she thought better of it. Either way, it needed to be brought to the interrogation, there had to be useful information in its pages. 

Rayla tossed everything back in the bag and shoved all the cleaning implements into the buckets and abandoned them in the hallway. Then she looked at the washroom door that hung ajar. She tried to identify the uncomfortable feelings that were preventing her from walking in. She felt sick, she wanted to avoid it, deliver the book and hope he was fine when she got back. But she was also drawn to it, like the strange feeling of an invisible string. The magic sensation that comes and goes like a faint flutter she usually can’t place. It pulled her by her chest, tied around her heart. Then she exhaled the breath she didn’t know she was holding it was gone. She loved him and she didn’t know how to help, but she knew she needed to try. After a few more moments of staring at the door, she rolled her shoulders and exhaled again. As she crossed the room she reminded herself of the facts of the situation, there was nothing to be afraid of, was she afraid? She couldn’t decide. 

Rayla came in quietly, she didn’t want to scare him “Hey, mah darlin’, you doin’ ok?” he flinched despite her soft voice. He hadn’t relaxed at all and didn’t answer her question, he didn’t need to. He was clearly very not ok. She cautiously took a few steps forward. “So… uh… rooms clean, fresh sheets, yay,” why did she say yay? Stupid. “Callum, I… Clau-” she stopped herself from saying the name. “I found her stuff… it was under the bed...” she might as well been talking to the wall, he still hadn’t turned around. “Soooo I figured I should bring it tae yer aunt… fer the uh interrogation… stuff,” still he didn’t acknowledge her. Again she tried to evaluate her thoughts. She should be annoyed, he’s ignoring her, it was rude, it was mean. She should let him have it, but she didn’t want to. She felt afraid, in the _he’s in danger and falling off a mountain_ kind of way, but there was no mortal peril in sight. She’s never seen him like this, he was despondent. Her mouth felt dry and she tried to put her thoughts together. “Callum?” her worry was obvious, “I don’ need tae go now. Maybe I should stay with yah?” She took another step, “Callum would you please just say somethin’? Anythin’?”.

“I’m fine.” He said it with finality. 

“Oh… well I just, I’m still really... You aren’t actin’ like yer fine and I know that today’s been real hard on you and-” 

“I said I was fine” He cut her off. It wasn’t angry but still harsh. He had grabbed a sponge and was watching it as he squished and released, squished and released. 

”Callum, would you at least turn tae look at me?” she sounded desperate. “Is this because you think I’m upset with you or somethin’? Because I swear to you I’m not. I know you wouldn’ be with her on purpose.” She took another step forward and she could feel her heartbeat in her ears. “Callum would you please just look at me?” She touched his arm as gently as possible.

“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” he turned and pulled away. Rayla jumped back like a frightened cat and stood there in shock. She felt her lip quiver involuntarily.

He ran his hand over his face and pinched his temples. He groaned in frustration, she knew that groan, he was frustrated with himself. “Rayla, I’m sorry. I-I shouldn’t have yelled.” She was forcing herself not to cry “And uh, I’m really sorry I yelled at you earlier too… I just… like you said it’s been a-a weird day” He quickly glanced at her apologetically and then away again. 

She didn’t give a shite about the apology, he opened his mouth but she sputtered anxiously “Callum would you please look at me?” her voice was timid and it felt stupid. Moonshadow elves aren’t even supposed to be afraid, she loathed this helpless feeling.

“I’m ok, I know I’ve been an asshole today-“ 

“No it’s been more than a weird day and I want tae talk tae-”

He stopped her “Rayla-”

“I could wash yer back? Yer hair? That always relaxes you-” 

“Please,” he sighed “It’s ok. Why don’t you see how the interrogation is going. I’m sure they’ll really want to see what you found.”

She wanted to be mad at him, he was being weird and harsh, but most importantly he wasn’t being himself. She clenched her fists “Al-alrighty then….” She turned to leave.

“Rayla wait” 

She spun back in an instant, the anger vanished in smoke. “I love you,” he smiled and flicked his eyes up to hers and down again. 

“I love you too,” she didn’t know how to feel. But she smiled back sadly. “I guess I’ll…” she didn’t even finish her statement, just slipped through the door and closed it behind her. She took a few steps and heard him grunt angrily and then a smacking splat, she guessed it was the sponge and the wall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope everyone is doing well, staying safe and healthy. To my fellow extroverts, know you’re not alone in the struggle so don’t be afraid to reach out. A nice thing I did to cope was going to the beach, social distanced and walked with my brother who’s in TX on speakerphone. It felt almost like I was walking and talking with him normally. I described rocks (because that’s what a PNW beach is) and he explained what he was doing on farm simulator. Zoom or call someone while outside the house walking, I recommend it! It just felt less oppressive than the same 4 walls. ***Please note my advice only applied if you can do it and follow proper protocols/orders/laws where you live, please do not party on beaches in Florida***
> 
> Oh, weird thing, the “Seattle freeze”(it’s a social thing) is defrosted. People are talking to their neighbors (waiting for non-PNW people to gasp) people walking their dogs talk to each other from the other side of the street and from each other's porches! Everyones lonely enough to not be standoffish haha. I’m not the weird social person that everyone wants to avoid anymore. Honestly, if it weren’t for my accent I wouldn’t be Seattle-y at all although arguably I’m a suburbanite… but I have the accent!... This was information you didn’t ask for.
> 
> And in other news I brushed 4+ years of dust off my Twitter, I’m doing weekly Rayllum Polls. @ChloeClegane
> 
> One more thing! There is a non-chapter related surprise coming. Stay tuned!


	10. Stone Beats Hand, Every Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a lot to process at the end of a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI GUYS! Sooooo you know how I hinted that there was a surprise around the corner at the end of the last chapter. Well, it already happened! :D But if you aren't aware Tumblr is, unfortunately, having issues with tags not working properly. So you probably didn't see it. I also added it to chapter 4 so if you're new to the story you probably saw it. (ok drum roll)   
> I COMMISSIONED ART! The wonderful Yonalla created some amazingly cute Rayllum art for our enjoyment.   
> https://yonallaart.tumblr.com/post/616252341991145472/heres-an-aged-up-rayllum-commission-for  
> Go look! She's also on Instagram (@Yonalla.art) and Twitter (@Yonallaart). She was really fun to work with so go check her out and give her some love!
> 
> Ok, now onto the chapter.

Rayla left the apartment with a weight tied around her neck. Twice in one day, he’d raised his voice at her. In the throne room, she’d been angry and defiant, dug her heels in and threw it right back at him. Now she just wanted to curl up in a ball, torn between hiding alone or being in his arms. 

She and Callum had a number of screaming matches in their three years together. Usually the fights had something to do with her doing something risky and stupid and him getting mad about it, or vice versa. The fights were infrequent and never lasted long, and even if they didn’t come to an agreement they always held each other and apologized at the end of it. Rayla reminded herself of that as she walked to the dungeons with her arms crossed and brow furrowed. 

“We’ve been through worse,” she quietly muttered to herself. “I’ll come tae bed later. He’ll kiss me and It’ll be alright.” 

She wasn’t able to put herself at ease, what she did manage was compartmentalizing. 

When Rayla quietly slipped into the torchlit room, she decided not to show herself and sunk into the shadows. The hurt and sadness she’d carried on the walk down was soothed by anger. It was a much more tolerable emotion and the strangling weight of misery subsided. 

The jailers had given Claudia a change of clothes. A plain grey dress that had seen better days hung from her narrow frame. Rayla was relieved. She didn’t want to be reminded of the twisted version of herself staring back at her. She didn’t want that vile grey skin touching  _ anything _ that belonged to her. 

The relief at seeing the prison garb grew to satisfaction as she gazed upon her handywork. In the last hour or so, Claudia’s left eye had nearly swollen shut, her right cheek had a four-finger welt, and her lips were split with dried blood still smeared at the corners of her mouth. It was extremely gratifying to look at. But the marred face wasn’t enough to quench Rayla’s thirst for vengeance. This bitch had fucked her husband and caused his current condition. Rayla had no idea what to even call the state he was in. Devastated? Sickened? Ashamed? Whatever it’s called, it was bad. Claudia’s punishment was far from over if Rayla had anything to do with it. The pain Rayla had inflicted with the back of a hand was nothing compared to that single moment she thought Callum was unfaithful. Before Claudia turned around, before Rayla assessed the situation farther - it was the longest two seconds of her life and the pain was excruciating. Rayla absentmindedly started rolling her right shoulder and she was reminded that the bulk of her recent pain was the fault of this disgusting woman. Rayla knew Callum would never willingly betray her and she could never be mad at him for what just happened. The tart may have seduced Callum, but he must have figured it out because it looked like he was trying to get her off of him when Rayla found them. 

Amaya hadn’t missed Rayla’s entrance and quietly joined her. She signed, “Callum okay?”.

Rayla just shrugged and spoke softly. “Have you gotten anythin’ from her?”

It was the general’s turn to shrug. She signed slowly and simply for Rayla’s benefit. “No. This bitch is crazy.” 

Rayla’s understanding of sign language was limited to gestures, the alphabet and all the swear words. Which had always been enough for her and her aunt by marriage to get along just fine. 

“Claudia if you think he wanted you then why did you do that creepy moon moth thing?” Soren sounded like he’d been asking different versions of the same question for the last hour. 

“You just don’t understand.” she was scowling petulantly. 

“Try me.” He crossed his arms and stared at her.

She looked away and stayed quiet. 

“Sooooo you’re just a total creep then?” he prodded. 

“It’s because he can’t see through her manipulation!” she snapped. “He just needed to make love to me. Then I’ll be able to save him and he’ll realize that I’m the one he’s wanted all along.” Kazi, who stood near the cell interpreting the interrogation, made a face. Claudia continued to speak and they continued to sign. “She was sent to kill his family, why would he love her? She’s clearly using her connection to the moon arcanum.”

“You have noooo idea what you’re talking about.” Soren rolled his eyes. “If he didn’t love her then why would he marry her?”

Claudia groaned in frustration.“She’s controlling him and apparently she’s gotten you too.” 

Soren was getting increasingly annoyed. “Claudia, the last time you saw him, you tortured his wife and he almost killed you for it.” 

She rolled her eyes at him “That wasn’t his fault, Callum was just confused. You’re all stuck in her web, you can’t see what she really is.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, so let's get this straight,  _ Rayla _ is using evil  _ moon illusions _ to trick and control people?” he asked with feigned surprise.

“Ugh Soren don’t mock me,  _ yes. _ ” she rolled her eyes yet again.

“No no no no.  _ Yoooou _ thought the best way to fix this was to smoosh a dead bug on yourself and use it’s  _ moon illusion magic _ to trick Callum into doing what  _ YOU WANT _ !? ”

She spluttered indignantly “I don’t know why I thought you could wrap your head around this. You’re such an idiot Soren, you won’t ev-.”

“ **NO!** ” he yelled and Rayla felt a surge of pride. “ _ You _ can’t see it! You can’t see what’s right in front of your face! Or-or what you’ve done!” he paused and processed for a moment with wide eyes. He didn’t yell, but his voice firm. “You’re fucking crazy Claudia.” 

He was finally admitting it to himself, not just to her. She scowled and opened her mouth but Soren didn’t let her get a word in. “You’re the idiot Claudia and I don’t think you even know what love is. Because I’m pretty dark magic-ing someone to love you isn’t real love. Callum and Rayla have  _ real love _ , it’s beautiful but you’re too bonkers to recognize it. You think you understand, but you don’t, you only know Dad’s kind of love, super fake and toxic and it’s...It’s turned you into a monster!” He cried out in frustration, backed away and ran his fingers through his hair “UGH! I can’t do this! Amaya, you take over.” 

He turned and stormed out of the room. His jaw was set and bitter. Claudia called after him to come back but he didn’t turn, he also didn’t see Rayla in the shadows by the door. She contemplated going after him, but figured he could use some time to cool off. Rayla again decided to stay hidden as Amaya and Kazi continued the questioning. They asked about where Aaravos was and tried to get her to elaborate on the power-sucking thing. They didn’t get anything useful, just the pathetic crying and daft musings of a mad woman. 

It occured to Rayla that Soren had actually hurt her with his words, that her tears weren’t fake. In different circumstances maybe Rayla could  _ almost _ feel sorry for her and her pathetic broken mind. But after today, the look on Callum’s face, all she could feel was hatred. 

  
  


About twenty more minutes went by and Amaya called it quits. The general looked like she wanted to punch the twat almost as much as Rayla did. Kazi who was usually so timid was delivering some serious side eye. 

Just as they were about to leave, Rayla stepped into the light and revealed herself. It startled Claudia and she scooted herself away from the bars.

“How _ shady  _ of you, hiding in the... shade. H-how long have you been here?” 

Rayla didn’t respond, she just stared her down and approached the cell. The last time she’d really seen Claudia it was from the ground and she’d cackled over her.

“Whatever you're doing, trying to  _ intimidate _ me or whatever, it’s not going to work.” She sounded confident but the additional step away betrayed that. “You know he’s going to-” 

Rayla spit on her. “You shouldn’t’ve come here. Yer goin’ tae regret doin’ it”. She turned and followed Amaya out of the room. When Rayla slammed the door behind her she let out a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a sign. She leaned her back against the door with her eyes closed and clutched and twisted the leather strap of the bag of horrors. 

“Spitting’s always a nice touch,” Kazi translated for Amaya. “Especially when you want to really stick it to someone, right... me”. The translator chuckled awkwardly and spoke for themselves, “Rayla - er - Your Highness? Do I call you that now?” 

Rayla groaned. “Please don’t.” 

She finally opened her eyes and looked at the pair. 

“Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, the Gen-er uh... Amaya is referring to a time she once spat at the feet of Her Late Radiance Khessa.” 

Amaya started signing and they went back to translating. “It was funny and stupid. If Janai hadn’t there I probably would have been killed.” Callum’s Aunt was silently chuckling at her own apparently fond memory. For her, that seemed about right.

All Rayla could manage was an exhausted smile “I think I got some in’er eye, so I suppose that’s pretty cool.” 

Amaya patted her a bit too hard on the shoulder. “See, that’s the spirit. Some days you have to celebrate the smallest victories.” She winked and then pointed at the bag. “What’s this? Hers?” 

“Yeah I found it under the bed, it’s full of dead things and-” Rayla pulled out the book and put it in Kazi’s empty hands, “-this. There has tae be somethin’ useful in there.” The Sunfire scholar smiled, eager to be helpful, but looked horrified when they skimmed the pages. 

Rayla let out another involuntary sigh and suddenly she was squeezed into a vice grip hug by her Aunt-in-law. When she pulled away, she signed to Rayla directly and simply. “It’s O-K Rayla, R-E-S-T, go,” she told her. 

“We’ll take care of this for you,” Kazi smiled sincerely as they patted the book under their arm. 

After a bit more urging, and Kazi’s insistence that they love to study and wouldn’t need her help, she finally thanked them and began ascending the stairs. 

She thought about going back to the apartment. She was worried about him. She wanted to see him and hold him and make all these anxious bad feelings go away. Because that’s how things worked. When something was bad, they had each other and everything felt less existentially terrifying. But he wouldn't even look at her. Her arms returned to her chest, crossed tightly as she walked. Rayla had never been good at emotions and knowing how to fix the bad ones. That was Callum’s job, and that had always been okay because they were a team. She slished and slashed, he zapped and flew. She got stubborn and aggressive, he talked about the problems and was diplomatic. 

She knew the way back to the apartment, the physical route, but she was lost in a different way. Her heart’s compass that usually pointed reliably was broken. So when she came to an intersection in the long castle hallways, she just stood there. She looked down the hallway in front of her, looked back to where she’d come, and then to the left. She’d gone so long without having a real home, she wasn’t ghosted anymore but the Silvergrove still hadn’t felt like right since. That kind of rejection was hard to handle. Rayla didn’t feel ready to go to the apartment, to go home, so she took the turn and attempted to bite down all of the shite feelings in her heart. 

It was a quick walk before Rayla knocked on Soren’s door, she heard shuffling, the muffled sound of a blown nose and finally the door swung open. 

Ralya was taken aback by the sight of him: his eyes were red like he’d been crying, he looked miserable and she noticed blood on his knuckles that held the door.

“ _ Heeeeey _ , what’s up?” he said in a way that somewhat resembled cheerful and well-adjusted. 

“Soren, uh, yer hands bleedin’,” she pointed out cautiously. 

He looked at it like he’d just now noticed, “Oh… uuuhhh yeah… oops”.

She pushed past him into the room and he closed the door behind her. “Takin’ yer anger out on walls now, I see,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“ _ Yeeaah _ , I didn’t really think ahead that it was gonna hurt this bad.”

“You do know these walls are made of  _ stone _ right? Stone beats hand, every time.” 

“Psh... I  _ know _ what walls are…” He defended, then quieted. It made Rayla feel guilty. 

She gave an apologetic smile. “Hey, how about I wrap that up fer you?”

He nodded and retrieved a small first aid kit from a cupboard. It was a picked over mess but she found what she needed. 

They sat in silence for a while, while she cleaned the cut and bruising knuckles.

“Nothin’ looks broken but the skin, that’s good,” she forced a smile at him and he gave a sad one in return. “I can not  _ believe _ I’m askin’ this, but do you wan’tae talk about  _ why _ you hit the wall?” She tied off the bandage.

“What?  _ Noooo. _ I’m fine, I just wanted to test the walls…. For security…” He was incredibly unconvincing. 

“Are ye sure it isn't because yer crazy sister broke into the castle and fucked up everyone’s day-?” Her voice was full of sarcastic cheer.  _ You know, that bitch who fucked my husband _ , she thought to herself. 

“Maybe…” his lip quivered and then he burst into a heaving sob. Rayla immediately panicked, the cloth in her hand already damp and bloody. She frantically started looking around the room for a handkerchief. First she picked up an oilcloth for his sword,  _ no _ . Then a rag that was crusty and rigid, she tried not to yelp and instead screamed internally. Next she found a slightly dirty napkin, it smelled like bacon.  _ That’ll do _ . She turned back and he was still crying. 

“There ya go.” 

He blew his nose loudly and she patted his back awkwardly. She had not expected or prepared for this level of blubbering.

“There, there,” she sighed.

He cried for a bit before calming himself down enough to speak. Soren breathed in deeply before beginning again, “S-she’s my little sister an-and you know, I didn’t like her at first,” he sniffled, “I actually told our Mom to give her back to the baby wife lady,” another sniffle. Rayla wondered if he was quoting his younger self or if he still didn’t know what a midwife was. “And then one day, she laughed or something and it was really cute and I liked hugging her and I thought she was pretty neat and then she got big enough to share her snacks with me and it was _really_ cool and I realized it was nice to share _my snacks_ _with her_ and we played together everyday but then one time I put her on the seesaw, right, and I jumped on the other side and she went flying and she was crying and I think she scraped her knees or something and I think I just wanted to see what would happen or I guess how far she’d go, and Rayla it was a bad thing for me to do but it didn’t mean I don’t _love her_!” The last part came out with a fresh sob. 

She knew the confusing rant was going in a direction. But Rayla couldn’t help picturing a dark haired toddler going flying across a playground. Soren and her would have made great playmates growing up, she would have willingly been catapulted. 

“Uh, Soren, I’m not sure-”

“Don’t you get it Rayla!? The seesaw’s a  _ metaphor _ !” he interrupted her and tried to take a controlled breath.

“Yeah... I think I get it,” she said delicately.

“My Dad was  _ really _ mad at me, I remember him screaming and I kind of deserved it. Claudia was crying and I don’t think she’s ever been on a seesaw since. But after that, my mom sat with me in her lap and she told me that it’s my job to protect her, I should never do something that would make her get hurt like that, ever again. She said loving my sister is one of the most important things I’ll ever do, and to do it my whole life.” He wiped his eyes again and took a long deep breath. “When our Mom left us, she said it again. That Claudia will always be a special person for my life and that I always need to love her and keep her safe.” He kept taking purposeful breaths but then the sobs broke through again. “How did I let this happen to her? She wouldn’t be like this if I took better care of her?” 

That pissed Rayla off. He should look out for his sister but this, she’d chosen the path of dark magic all on her own. She’s made choices to do terrible things. Rayla reminded herself Soren is her friend and mustered her sympathy with a big sigh “Oh Soren, None of this is yer fault.” 

“That night before the battle at the storm spire, she begged me to stay with her but I walked away” he cried, snot coming down from his nose. He was clutching the napkin but failed to use it.

“And that was a  _ good _ thing!” Rayla insisted.

“I know, I had to get away from my dad and I needed to leave so I could help you guys,” he steadied his breath again.

“ _ Yes! _ ” she agreed, trying not to sound annoyed.

“She wanted me to stay but what if I tried harder to convince  _ her _ , or I could-I could’ve  _ made _ her come,” he was starting to ramble and she could see his mind racing. 

“No, you-” Rayla tried to interject.

“Oh, you know what? I should’ve picked her up and carried her, I’m bigger and stronger and I totally could’ve done it,” what would usually be his excited idea sound was a hiccupping sob.

Rayla couldn’t listen to his guilty bullshit. She grabbed his shoulders, and shook him firmly, “Soren! Should’a would’a  _ whatever! _ Stop!” 

Her words made him freeze. Then she surprised herself when she hugged him. He just sat there a moment before hugging her back. Rayla figured the big fella could use a good hug. When they pulled apart she stayed gripping his shoulders. He wiped his boogers and tears with his sleeve, forgetting his napkin, and listened to her. 

“You can’t keep beatin’ yerself up. Families are...  _ complicated _ , and yers... Yers is toxic. You survived it and  _ got away _ .” she shook him softly for emphasis. “You would’ve ended up like Kasef, a monster,  _ a _ **_dead_ ** _ monster _ .” 

Rayla let go of his shoulders and sat down on the floor in front of him. “You  _ can’t _ feel guilty fer survivin’” she hugged her knees. “I know what that’s like, feelin’ like you let everyone down, knowin’ people lost their lives…” she sighed. “It made me wish I had died too,” she took a moment to check her emotions. “I let that guilt weigh me down... I guess it still does and it probably always will. I suppose I’ve learned tae carry it now. You have tae tell yerself that what you did was fer the best. You think you could’ve kidnapped yer sister but… It’s not that simple. You couldn’t control Claudia.” 

She tried to keep the salt out of her tone when she said the name and paused, her own sad memories surfaced in her mind. A few silent moments passed between them before she spoke again, “I couldn’t control Runnan…” She stopped to take a deep breath and collected her thoughts. “Yer a good person Soren, and you didn’ deserve tae have a shite piece of garbage fer a dad… and neither did-” the anger simmered in the pit of her stomach, “neither did Claudia… back then.” 

“But she does now,” he spoke it so sadly and Rayla was caught off guard. The ugly tears had ceased but replaced with a deep sorrow, “The worst part is I don’t think I can save her now. She’ll always go back to him. I listen to her talk and most of it doesn’t even make sense, she’ll go from nice to mean and talk like she loves me and then...”

She wanted to agree, she did agree, Claudia was too far gone, she was terrible. Rayla wanted to dress her up as a glow toad and toss her in the ocean. But Soren looked so sad. 

“Soren, I’m sorry you-you don’...” she didn’t know what to say. 

They sat quietly again, Soren let out a heavy sigh and asked, “How’s Callum?”

Now it was her turn to sigh. “Honestly? I don’ know.... He-he’s really upset and he told me tae leave him alone...” she pulled her knees in even tighter. “It’s weird… fer him tae do that”.

Soren looked broken-hearted. “Yeah, he looked really bad when I left. But maybe he does just need to be alone for a bit. You guys are so in love and always  _ so _ really strong for each other. I think it’ll be ok, probably not today but still.”

Rayla just smiled half heartedly and stayed in her little ball. 

“What Claudia’s done… I don’t-” he said, trying to put his words together. “Her mind is broken and I used to think that maybe if I could get rid of Viren for good... Then maybe I could unbreak her brain.” He twisted the napkin in his hand.

“But you don’ think so anymore.'' It wasn’t a question.

He stopped again for a breath and nodded. “She’s done a lot of gross things, dark magic stuff and she’s killed people but… doing this to Callum… I’m  _ disgusted _ by her,” he sounded bitter.

Rayla was baffled. She wasn’t arguing that Claudia was the lowest form of human trash but this being the rock bottom for her… murderer seemed a little worse than being a traumatizing seductive creep. No matter what Rayla hated her and felt both were on the list of worst things Claudia's ever done. 

He sighed  _ yet again _ . “I have something for you, I don’t know if you want them or what I should do but… here,” he handed her a small folded bundle of fabric, her clothing. 

She was repulsed as soon as she touched them, Rayla felt like she could feel the pollution clinging to the silk. Claudia had worn these and used them to… she’d worn them on her disgusting grey body and she… Rayla wanted it gone, away from her, destroyed. Without saying a word she went to Soren’s hearth and pulled a few small logs and kindling off the wood rack. She struck the flint and steel. 

She touched him.  _ Strike _ . She tricked him.  _ Strike.  _ She fucked him.  _ Strike. _ She wanted to take him away from her. The kindling caught. 

“ _ Rayla _ , It’s July and I have to sleep in here,” he whined. She ignored him and he must have realized what she was doing because he didn’t say anything more, just quietly opened his windows. 

As soon as the flame came to life Rayla grabbed the nightgown and without hesitation threw it into the flame. The fire consumed the delicate fabric in an instant and the heat washed over her face. When she reached for the stockings the teal ribbon caught her attention and she froze. She ran her fingers along the embroidery. The stockings were one of her favorite things, tied to so many wonderful memories. 

  
  


They’d laid together and the stockings were the only pieces of clothing still on between the two of them. Rayla’d worn them a few nights in a row, the way he reacted to her was nice. It was obvious wearing them made him happy, and she wanted him to be happy. She loved the way he looked at her. Looking back now, she thought about his eyes at their wedding, it was those looks and the way he touched her that always filled her with joy. She and Callum were intertwined and he had started stroking her leg absentmindedly. Running his finger along the garter ribbon. 

“I told you I like the sexy socks,” she had teased him. “I know you want them fer yerself but they’re mine. No take-backs.” 

He’d laughed and smiled. “But they might look good on me and they’re  _ soooo soft. _ ” He made a point of very purposefully stroking her leg “ _ Buuuut _ ,” he’d squeezed her thigh and kissed her, “I like touching them on you way more than I ever could on myself.”

“Well touchin’ yer’self is never as good as when I do it,” she smirked.

“True true” he laughed, kissing her, “Very true,” a blush spread on his cheeks. “I’m really glad you like them,” he’d said softly. 

She loved it when he was bashful. After all their time together, every so often, he got nervous when he was being cheesy or romantic. 

“They’re the best engagement present I’ve ever had,” she’d said confidently.

He looked puzzled. “I’m pretty sure that was your only engagement present.”

“Still counts as the best though,” she’d booped his nose and they both giggled and kissed before he’d brought them back again to sincerity.

“I sorta worried it was a selfish gift. I just pictured you wearing them and uh...”

“And so it was yer pecker that picked the present then? Yes Callum, that does seem a wee bit selfish,” she teased. 

“That was very good alliteration and a very fair accusation but I just thought you would feel pretty. I just, I think you only really care about being pretty when you’re with me.”

“Pshhh it’s not  _ just _ you,” she’d said, slightly offended.

“Yeah you aren’t a slob.” That statement hadn’t helped him much. “What I’m trying to say is that you’re delicate and vulnerable with me in a way you aren’t with anyone else.”

He’d been right. She reflected and it was true, she was vulnerable with him, she sought his affection and attention.

“I thought it would be something that would make you feel pretty when it’s just the two of us. Is that stupid?” he’d asked her.

She’d laughed in reply. “Maybe a little. But I love you anyways.” 

“That’s a huge relief, I was going to be really embarrassed if it turned out you didn’t love me anymore,” he’d sighed.

He’d kissed her and rolled on top of her. “I want you to laugh like this everyday Rayla,” he had said it so sincerely it took her off guard. 

She’d tried to say something sarcastic, deflect, but she’d just sputtered and smiled, “Wha-pshhh.”

His smile had stayed sweet and sincere, he’d enjoyed her fluster. Then he’d kissed his way down her body rubbing her thighs stroking her silk bound legs before lavishing her with his tongue. 

  
  


His touch was as silky as the delicate garter ribbon she held in her hand. He made her feel beautiful and the stockings, they made her feel like a flower, soft and pretty. They were precious to her. She hugged the stockings to her chest and sadness melted onto her from above and sunk into her bones. 

She took a deep shaky breath. She didn’t want to cry. She refused. Things would go back to normal eventually, she told herself. Tomorrow, the nerves would subside and they’d both apologize, kiss and hold each other and their world would be set right. Rayla looked down at the stockings, she knew she’ll never wear them again and that alone broke her heart. Despite that, she still couldn’t give them up. So she set them aside sadly and separated the logs with the poker. 

“Are you ready to talk about  _ your _ feelings now?” Soren asked from behind her. 

“I don’ know what tae do with them… they’re special,'' her voice was small and mournful. She looked back at him and he nodded sympathetically before pouring two drinks from a bottle on his shelf. 

“I think we could both use the edges cut off of our problems today,” he tried to rally.

“Sure, _ why not _ ?” she said dryly. Still sitting on the floor she raised her arm and he placed the cup in her hand. She took a sip and sighed. She didn’t really care for red wine but he was right, a drink sounded great and she wasn’t going to be picky. 

Soren leaned against the mantle and chugged his entire cup of wine in three gulps. Rayla was dumbfounded, “Whoah uhh… you okay big lump? That’s a lot of edge yer trimin’ there,” she chuckled awkwardly. 

“Oh yeah I’m totally fine, just  _ super _ thirsty.” He waved her off before pouring another drink. He sipped slowly this time.

She couldn’t help the side eye she gave. “Sooo uh, tough day all around I suppose.” 

“You got that right,” he agreed and slumped into his small sofa. He stared into his cup. 

Rayla broke the silence, “I don’ know. I have no idea what tae think right now…. Not at all.” 

Soren spoke confidently, “I may not be the smartest but I know one big giant fact.” 

She raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “And that is?”

“He loves you,” Soren smiled at her, “and nothing my sister does will ever change that. What she did today was terrible and I think he’s probably really confused. But I think he needs you and for sure loves you.” 

“Stop makin’ so much sense lump, I find it annoying,” she glared with a small smile before taking another sip.

“Hey, pluuuus you’re cooler than zap hands remember? If anyone can figure all this out, it’s you,” he wiggled zap fingers in her direction. 

“Yer  _ so _ lame…” she rolled her eye but added “but yer also correct, I’m  _ very cool. _ ”

“So cool!” Soren chuckled. 

After that, Rayla had food brought up and they had another drink. Soren got out the dice and they tried to distract themselves and have a laugh. It worked for a while, but their usual suspenseful gambling was half-hearted at best, and inevitably one of them would end up sighing and sadly drifting into space until the other knocked them back to reality. Eventually, they abandoned the game and said goodnight. Rayla heard him pour another drink as she closed the door behind her. 

The weight had restrung itself around her neck. It pulled at her the whole walk home.

  
  


Rayla opened the apartment door. It was dark and Callum was already asleep. She wanted to wake him, but based off of their interaction earlier she thought better of it. Resigning to her pining, she went to the wardrobe for a nightdress and to put away the stockings. 

When she opened the drawer, Rayla found it had been ransacked; everything was unfolded and mixed up. The other drawers and cabinet were more of the same. The bile burned and bubbled up into her throat again. Her skin crawled. Her things were contaminated, _ she _ felt contaminated. It hadn’t just been the nightgown or the stockings. Mere hours ago, Claudia’s hands had been on even more of Rayla’s things. It was clear she had rifled around with a purpose. With the goal of  _ fucking _ her husband. Rayla looked around the room, Claudia had been in their apartment and their bed. She’s  _ fucked _ him in  _ their _ bed. There was an urge to burn it, send it all up in flames like she’d done with the nightgown. Because that's what fire did, what the arcanum was all about. Purification. But arson was, if nothing else, impractical. 

She shoved the stockings to the back and grabbed a linen shift from the top of the pile. Rayla narrowly resisted the urge to slam the drawer shut. She didn’t want to wake Callum. She settled on dropping the red and gold dress she’d been wearing on the floor and kicking it. She scowled at the unsatisfying distance it tumbled. Rayla pulled the shift over her head as she walked to the mirror and when her head passed through the neck, she saw how tired she looked. Her hair was still pinned into a partial updo but she’d nervously fiddled and ruined it. She sighed and removed the remaining pins and then reached for her hairbrush. She froze with it halfway to her head. A partially black hair was stuck in the bristles. She glanced at the sleeping lump in the bed and pushed a forceful exhale through her nostrils, part of an internal scream. She went back to the dress on the floor and kicked it again, and wondered what the sick bitch  _ hadn’t  _ touched.

Rayla was repulsed, nauseated, and furious. She hated this feeling of violation. Her most personal things had been defiled and used against her. A breeze came through the open doors. She crossed her arms and wished it could blow away the unsettling discomfort. Then she turned and looked at Callum… really looked at him.

He had cried himself to sleep. His usually peaceful face was sad and the pillow was still wet. Claudia had done this to him, made him cry. 

Then the room fell away and a frenzy of thoughts cycloned around her. 

When she entered the apartment, he’d been crying. He’d been crying out for her to stop. 

Rayla’s stomach dropped. 

Soren words rung in her ear. “She’s killed people but… doing this to Callum… I’m  _ disgusted _ by her.”

She could feel acid bubble into her throat. 

This wasn’t adultery, this was something else. This was… Soren knew, why hadn’t she?

How had she been so stupid? How had she not understood? Would he still have sent her away if she hadn’t been so dense?

She felt tears start to roll down her cheeks as she looked down at his sad sleeping face, she now had tears to match his.

He wouldn’t look at her. He couldn’t look at her. Because  _ she _ , Claudia, had looked like her. 

That was why he’d sent her away. 

She covered her mouth to silence the sobs. She felt a burn in her right shoulder.

She hadn’t just worn Rayla’s clothes, Claudia wore her face. It wasn’t just her belongings that had been violated, it was him, he had been violated.

The cyclone was closing in on her, Rayla was going to drown in it. In all of this.

She rushed to escape the room, and closed the balcony door behind her just in time for the heaving sobs to break. Her stomach was turning and she thought she would be sick.

From the moment she saw them, she pulled off that illusion, Rayla has been angry. It was reliable for her. Made her feel strong, made her protective of him. Let her take care of him. But that was a lie, she hadn’t protected him, she read it wrong or missed the point and that was the reason and she hadn’t taken better care of him. Like she should have. She wasn’t even sure what she should have done differently but she knew it should have been more or better. 

She clutched her shoulder with one hand and the railing with the other. The cyclone of sadness, rage, and disgust were growing into a hurricane. She hated Claudia and that hate burned in her. She hated herself for not taking better care of him. She rolled her shoulder. 

Rayla had left behind her life as an assassin long ago. Killing in battle was one thing, but she never wanted to take lives in cold blood. But this… _this_ was provoked and boiled her blood. She realized she could do it now, she could take her blades and go to the dungeons, go to Claudia's cell. She could slit her throat. She could cut her neck to the bone if she wanted to. Rayla sobbed.

She felt the phantom pain in her healed shoulder. It was like the tendons were being ripped all over again. Snapping one by one. On the cool stones of the balcony, she was reliving the worst pain she had ever known. The pain Claudia had inflicted the day she held Rayla to the ground and contorted her limbs with dark magic. If Callum hadn’t stopped her, Claudia would have ripped Rayla’s arm off completely. But now it wasn’t her arm that would be severed, it was the beating heart from her chest. She wondered if it would make the same sound leaving her rib cage as her arm had from the joint.  _ POP, _ ringing in her ear. Rayla kept trying to breathe while she let herself cry.

  
  


After what felt like hours she got up and went to bed. She kissed Callum on the forehead gently, she wondered if he heard her crying. She curled up with her pillow to her chest on her cold empty side of the bed. She wiped away a few silent tears as she fell asleep. They hadn’t slept apart, without holding each other, since… she couldn’t remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing ok after that. I'm sure you have a lot of feelings, I know I do. In fact, now that this is edited and up I'm going to follow Soren's example. 
> 
> As always I want to let you all know how much I appreciate you all for reading. All the positivity I've gotten for this story has been such an amazing feeling as well as a big comfort. Take care of yourselves, stay safe and healthy and I'll see you in the next chapter in a few weeks. (Or sooner I guess on Twitter, @ChloeClegane, I've been doing this ongoing choose your own adventure series of polls, the topic is Rayllum 2nd base... also Tumblr, over there I'm Chloe-Clegane... which reminds me I'll probably be changing my Archive name to match soon.... ok I'm going to shut up and close the parentheses now)


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